Brandy Sauce For Christmas Pudding And Other Sweets Recipes

CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight., In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg; add to the creamed mixture alternately with orange and cherry juices, beating well after each addition. Stir in the fruit mixture., Pour into two well-greased 8x4-in. loaf pans. Cover with foil. Place on a rack in each of two stockpots. Add 2 in. of boiling water to each stockpot; cover and boil gently for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, adding water as needed. Let stand for 5 minutes before unmolding., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, egg yolk, half-and-half and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature., In a large bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream and brandy into brown sugar mixture. Serve with pudding.

BRANDY SAUCE (FOR CHRISTMAS PUDDING AND OTHER SWEETS)

Steps:

• Whisk the egg yolks, cream and sugar in a pot over low heat. Do not stop whisking and keep the heat low so that the custard doesn't curdle. Don't worry if it does, there's an easy fix.
• Continue whisking until the mixture thickens and becomes a sauce. (If you want to serve this to young children, remove some and add a drop of vanilla.) Add the brandy to your liking, from two teaspoonfuls to two tablespoonfuls (or more), but be careful not to add too much brandy or the sauce will become too runny. I used two tablespoonfuls.
• Whisk well so that the sauce is completely smooth. Pour into a serving jug to pour over the Christmas pudding before it's cut into pieces, which makes for a beautiful presentation. However, it may be more practical to cut slices and place in bowls, then pour the sauce over the top. I'd recommend this if you won't be finishing the entire pudding in one go.

CHRISTMAS BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• Serve the sauce poured over the top of individual slices of pudding.
• Enjoy.