Cape Brandy Sauce Recipes

CAPE BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, salt, and water for 5 minutes over medium heat.
• Add the brandy and vanilla extract and heat an additional minute.

CAPE BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepot, heat the butter, sugar, salt, and water for 5 minutes. Then add the brandy and vanilla extract and heat an additional minute.

CAPE BRANDY TART WITH BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• To make tart:
• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Place the dates in a small bowl, pour 1 cup boiling water over them, then add the baking soda. Let dates stand for 10 minutes, or until soft.
• 3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the beaters attached, combine the butter and sugar, and beat until creamy. Beat in the egg. Sift in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the date mixture, including the water, and the pecans. Mix well.
• 4. Line a lightly oiled or buttered 9-inch aluminum pie plate with parchment paper. (Alternatively, use a 9-inch springform pan.) Pour the date and nut mixture into the prepared plate and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out dry. To serve (see Note), remove from the pie plate, discard the parchment paper, allow to cool slightly, cut into wedges, and top with Brandy Sauce and whipped cream.
• To make brandy sauce:
• Combine the sugar with 1/4 cup cold water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and continue to boil, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla, followed by the brandy.
• NOTE To store the tart, if made in advance: First, allow it to cool to room temperature. Then place it in a plastic freezer bag, expel the air, seal the bag, and place it in the freezer for up to one month. To reheat the tart, place it in a 250°F oven until warm, about 45 minutes.

TRADITIONAL CAPE BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and pour over the dates. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter and sugar well and then beat in the eggs. Mix in the flour and the nuts and finally stir in the dates and water in which they have soaked. Turn into a buttered, shallow ovenproof dish and bake at 190C for 40 - 50 minutes.
• To make the sauce: Mix the butter, brown sugar and water and boil, until it forms a syrup. Remove from the heat stir in the vanilla and brandy. Pour the sauce over the hot pudding and allow it to soak inches.

BRANDY BUTTER (HARD SAUCE)

Steps:

• Place butter, confectioners sugar, orange rind, orange juice, and brandy or cognac into food processor and mix until smooth. Pile sauce into serving bowl and refrigerate. Remove from fridge about one hour before serving.

BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the dates in a bowl, pour over 250ml boiling water and set aside. Butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin and put a disc of baking parchment in the base.
• Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs in a large bowl, then beat with an electric hand whisk until well blended. Add the cooled date mix and beat again to make a sloppy batter
• Stir in the fruits, pecans and ginger, then pour into the pudding basin and cover the basin with pleated baking paper and foil (see tips, below). Put the basin in a roasting tin half-filled with boiling water, then steam in the oven for 3 hrs until a skewer inserted into the pudding comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the brandy syrup. Put the sugar and 75ml water in a pan and stir over the heat until syrupy. Stir in the brandy and remove from the heat. When the pudding is ready, remove from the oven, take off the foil and paper, and push a skewer into the centre - it should come out clean. Pour over the brandy syrup so it soaks into the pudding, then cover until ready to serve. Will keep in the fridge for a week.
• To serve, warm the pudding in the turned-off oven once you have taken out the potatoes, or microwave on High, covered with cling film, for 5 mins. Warm the butterscotch sauce (see related recipes) in a pan or in the microwave on Medium for 2 mins. Turn out the pudding onto a plate, pour over some of the sauce and serve the rest in a jug. Top with the holly sprig and serve with good-quality vanilla ice cream