Brandy Pudding Recipes

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

CHRISTMAS BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

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

OLD-FASHIONED BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.
• In large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in bread cubes and raisins. Stir in milk mixture. Pour into ungreased deep round pan.
• Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Serve warm with whipping cream.

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.

BRANDY BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• Cover raisins with brandy or water.
• Set aside.
• Melt butter or margarine.
• Break up bread, set aside.
• Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice.
• Reserve 3 tablespoons of this mixture for topping.
• Pour melted margarine on before you toss the bread crumbs. Your sugar mixture will stick better that way.
• Toss bread with remaining sugar mixture.
• Place 1/2 of bread mixture in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
• Drain raisins, place 1/2 raisins over bread crumbs.
• Repeat layers.
• Combine egg, salt, and vanilla in a bowl.
• Beat for 1 minute.
• Add milk slowly.
• Pour over mix in dish.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle reserved sugar mix on top.
• Bake at 325F for 45 to 50 minutes.

CHOCOLATE BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180 C.
• Lightly grease 8 ramekins.
• Melt cho and butter in bowl over pot of simmering water.
• Set aside when combined and melted.
• Using electric beaters beat sugar and eggs and yolks together till pale.
• Fold choc mixture into egg mixture alternately with flour.
• Spoon pudding into ramekins, cook 15 minutes till just set.
• Set aside for 15 minutes then pour a little brandy over each pudding.
• Dust with cocoa and serve with ice cream.

OLD CAPE BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
• You need a large ovenproof pudding dish, or 2 pie plates. Grease or spray with nonstick spray.
• Put the chopped dates in a bowl. Add the baking soda, and pour over the boiling water.
• Stir to mix and leave to cool.
• Cream together the butter and sugar until creamy (I use caster sugar, which, being fine, creams more easily). Add the beaten eggs and mix well.
• Sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt, then fold it into the creamed mixture.
• Stir in the date mixture, and then the nuts. Fold in thoroughly.
• Ladle into your prepared dish or pie plates, and put into oven. The baking time is approximately 50 minutes, but will depend on the dishes used. Test with a skewer, but a few crumbs will often adhere to the stick even when the pudding is done.
• While it's baking, make the syrup.
• Heat the sugar, butter and water together, stirring, until sugar has melted almost completely. Do not boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt and brandy.
• When the pudding or pies come out of the oven, pour over the hot syrup. It will sink in slowly.
• Serve hot or cold with ice cream, whipped cream or custard.

CAPE BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over dates, set aside to soften.
• Add bicarb, butter and sugar and blend well.
• Sift dry ingredients together and fold into the date mixture.
• Add egg and walnuts and mix.
• Lightly grease a microwave pan and bake for 5 -6 minutes on 100% power.
• For the syrup combine sugar, water and butter in a glass bowl and microwave on 100% power for 1 - 2 minutes until boiling point.
• Stir in vanilla and brandy.
• Pour hot syrup over warm tart.
• Serve with cream.

BRANDY PUDDING

Steps:

• Pour boiling water and bicarbonate of soda onto the dates and allow to stand. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.Add 250ml flour, sifted with baking powder and salt. Stir this into the date mixture, together with the nuts.Lastly, mix in 125ml flour, sifted with cinnamon and ginger. Pour into a well-buttered pie dish. Bake at 180°C for 45 minutes.Cool slightly and pour over the syrup. Syrup Boil all these ingredients together for 10 minutes. Add 125ml brandy and pour over the tart.

BREAD PUDDING WITH BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Heat overn to 350. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs,nutmeg,cinnamon,vanilla and salt. Mix together thoroughly.
• 2. Mold in 1/4 cup of raisins. Add bread crumbs and stir in liquid so the bread soaks up some of the liquid. Let stand for 5 minutes. Pour into a greased baking dish (I used a casserole dish) Top with remaining raisins and press into bread. Let stand 20 more minutes.
• 3. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. While its baking make the sauce by slowly melting the butter and sugar together. Add a beaten egg and whisk together. Remove from heat and add brandy. Mix thoroughly. Pour on top pudding and serve. Great with a scoop of ice cream on top.