{"id":1212721,"date":"2023-12-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1212721"},"modified":"2023-12-16T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T13:00:00","slug":"allies-christmas-pudding-chronicles-making-a-hard-sauce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prime-wow.com\/?p=1212721","title":{"rendered":"Allie's Christmas Pudding Chronicles: Making a Hard Sauce"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve made it to the fifth installment of my Christmas Pudding Chronicles and the fourth week of aging a boozy English-style fruit-studded cake fit to flamb\u00e9 on Christmas day. For those just jumping in, you can read about what started this figgy pudding series here<\/u><\/a>, how to make the cake<\/u><\/a>, how to \u201ccure\u201d it<\/u><\/a>, and a bit about the history of aging desserts<\/u><\/a> (sometimes in animal stomachs) in these posts. This is the final week before the big show on Christmas day, which makes today a great one for another brandy soak and preparing a \u201chard sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Feed the pudding for goodness\u2019 sake<\/h2>\n

At this point it feels like I\u2019m caring for a little cupboard companion. I\u2019ve been storing it in the cabinet where I keep pots and pans, so we have a check-in every day. Every time I go to get a frying pan out of my cabinet, we lock eyes, quickly nod to each other, and I close the door. Today is \u201cfeeding\u201d day so Li\u2019l Pud gets to come out and receive sustenance in the form of brandy. Soaking the cake once a week with a tablespoon or two of brandy is traditional, but an optional part of the Christmas pudding tradition. I wanted the full experience so I opted in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve tried applying the brandy with a pastry brush, a spritzer, and this week with a turkey baster. I was tempted to stick the baster directly into my brandy bottle but something about it felt wrong, plus I wouldn\u2019t be able to measure it since my baster doesn\u2019t have that feature. Instead I measured out one and a half tablespoons into a bowl and basted from there. The turkey baster was satisfying for precision application, but unless an interesting option falls into the comments section here, I\u2019ll go back to the pastry brush; it\u2019s the simplest way to do the job quickly and easily.<\/p>\n

After the brandy soak, I thought to myself, \u201cOk, let\u2019s get you dressed up,\u201d and re-covered my Christmas pudding. I know now that I could never be an animal farmer. I\u2019ve already named a four week-old fruit cake and when the day comes to harvest, well, I just don\u2019t know how I\u2019m going to take it.<\/p>\n

What the heck is \u201chard sauce\u201d?<\/h2>\n

Hard sauce is a traditional accompaniment to figgy pudding, but it\u2019s more accurately known as brandy butter. “Hard sauce” inspires more mystery since sauces are meant to flow, but it turns out it\u2019s basically buttercream frosting with brandy. I suppose it will be hard if it’s in the fridge. Was I expecting something more dynamic? Yes. However, I got over the disappointment once I tasted it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"A\n <\/div>\n
\n Only a few ingredients are necessary to make the hard sauce.<\/span>
\n Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

How to make brandy butter<\/h2>\n

Just like with American-style buttercream, you only need a few ingredients: butter, sugar, and flavoring. I decided to use Mary Berry\u2019s recipe for brandy butter<\/u><\/a> because she\u2019s my other favorite English chef (along with Nigella, whose Christmas pudding recipe<\/u><\/a> I used as a guide), and she might be the only Dame I\u2019d trust to feed me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I took a single liberty with her recipe. Mary Berry uses unsalted butter, but seeing as this is a condiment meant to be spread on cake, I think we\u2019d be selling ourselves short without some salt. Salted butter is clutch for an excellent frosting, and if you don\u2019t have it then add a quarter teaspoon of salt to this mixture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"A\n <\/div>\n
\n All of the ingredients should come together as a fluffy frosting.<\/span>
\n Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann<\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Use soft butter if you\u2019re mixing this by hand; it should be the consistency of mayonnaise. Add the sugars and mix them in with a rubber spatula. Berry\u2019s recipe indicates light muscovado sugar, but if you can\u2019t get your hands on it, light or dark brown sugar will be just fine. Add the brandy and whisk it in until emulsified. If your emulsion breaks or looks grainy, it could be too cold. It could also be an indication there is too much brandy. If it\u2019s too cold, try microwaving it for a few seconds, literally. Don\u2019t press start and walk away. Whisk it again. If the brandy is the culprit, add a tablespoon more of powdered sugar, and whisk the heck out of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The end result is sweet and buttery with caramel notes from the brandy, and I’m very excited to smear this on a warm slice of fruit cake. Although you taste the liquor, it’s surprisingly tame for what seems like a large measurement at first. Save this brandy butter at room temperature if you\u2019ll be flamb\u00e9ing within a week; it\u2019ll be easier to spread on the cake that way. Otherwise, store it in a covered container in the fridge. Let it come up to room temperature the morning you plan on using it. Enjoy brandy butter with Christmas pudding, of course, but you can slather it on muffins, toast, biscuits or any other carb you\u2019d like to make boozy and sweet.<\/p>\n

Next week will be the final installment of this series. I’ll be re-steaming, flamb\u00e9ing, and tucking in to a slice of figgy pudding. Check back in next week to read about Li’l Pud’s big day. <\/p>\n

Brandy Butter Recipe<\/h2>\n

(Adapted from Mary Berry\u2019s recipe<\/u><\/a><\/em>)<\/em><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/p>\n