Holiday Pudding's Sweet Delight: Hard Sauce
Welcome back to my fifth installment of the Christmas Pudding Chronicles, where we're diving into the fourth week of aging our English Fruit Cake for Christmas Day. For those just joining in, feel free to catch up on the , where you'll find instructions on how to bake the cake, "age" it, and learn some fascinating details about the aging process of desserts (sometimes in animal stomachs). This week, as the grand holiday show approaches, we're making the most of it by enjoying some Brandy and preparing the delicious "hard sauce."
Feeding the Pudding
At this point, I feel like I'm caring for a little sidekick hiding in the cupboard. I keep him stashed away in the cupboard where I store my pots and pans, so we pass each other by daily, nod, and I close the door. Today's the feeding day, and Li'l Pud can come out and enjoy some Brandy for nourishment. It's a traditional practice to feed the pudding a spoonful of Brandy every week, but it's also an optional part of the Christmas Pudding tradition. I opted for the full experience, so I decided to...
I tried to apply the Brandy with a baking brush or spray bottle this week, and next time, I might go back to using a baking brush; it's the easiest way to get the job done quickly. I've used 1 1/2 tablespoons in a bowl, then trickled it on. The precise application with a turkey baster was satisfactory, but if there's no interesting suggestion in the comments, I'll revert to the baking brush.
After letting it soak in the Brandy, I thought, "Okay, let's dress him up" and covered it with my Christmas Pudding again. I now know that I could never be a livestock farmer. I've given a four-week-old fruit cake a name, and by the time harvest time rolls around, I will have no idea how to approach it.
What exactly is "hard sauce"?
"Hard sauce" is the traditional side dish for mincemeat and Christmas Pudding, although a more precise term would be Brandy Butter. The "hard sauce" caused confusion as the buttercream frosting was actually liquid, but it turned out to be Brandy-Buttercream-Icing Sugar. I had anticipated something more dynamic, but after giving it a try, I got over my disappointment.
Making Brandy Butter
Making Brandy Butter only requires a few ingredients. Image courtesy of Allie Chanthorn ReinmannHere's how to make Brandy Butter##
Just like with American Buttercream, you only need a few ingredients: butter, sugar, and flavors. I chose to go with Mary Berry's Brandy Butter recipe since she's one of my British sweetheart's favorite British chefs (alongside Nigella, I used her Christmas Pudding recipe as a guide) and is the only British chef I know. I suppose it fills me up.
I went all out with her recipes. Mary Berry uses unsalted butter, but since this is flavored butter toppings, we'd be missing out if we didn't add some salt. Salted butter is the key to a good icing sugar. If you don't have salted butter on hand, add a quarter teaspoon of salt to the mixture.
All ingredients should be mixed together to create a light and fluffy icing sugar. Image courtesy of Allie Chanthorn ReinmannMixing the ingredients When mixing by hand, use soft butter; it should have the consistency of Mayonnaise. Add the sugar and mix with a dough scraper. Mary Berry calls for light-brown sugar, but if you can't find it, light- or dark-brown sugar will work just fine. Add the Brandy and stir until emulsified. If the mixture develops lumps or a grainy appearance, it might be too cold. It could also be a sign of adding too much Brandy. If it's too cold, heat it for a few seconds in the microwave. Do not press start and walk away. Stir again. If Brandy causes trouble, add an additional tablespoon of powdered sugar and mix.
The final product was sweet and buttery, with brandy caramel notes, and I was excited to spread it on a piece of fruit cake. While trying the wine, which at first seems strong, the flavor is surprisingly mild. If you want to cook within a week, store the Brandy butter at room temperature to make spreading easier. Otherwise, store it covered in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature the morning you plan to use it. Of course, Brandy butter goes great with Christmas Pudding, but you can also spread it on muffins, toast, cookies, or other carbohydrates that you want to sweeten and moisten.
Next week, we'll wrap up the series with the final installment. I'll bake it, prick it, and take a bite of the fruit cake. Stop by next week to learn about Li'l Pud's big day.
Brandy Butter Recipe
(Adapted from Mary Berry's Recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 stick softened unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup light-brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons brandy
In a medium-sized bowl, beat softened butter, powdered sugar, and light-brown sugar with a dough scraper until smooth and glossy. Stir in brandy. Once most of the brandy is mixed in, transfer to a mixer to thoroughly emulsify the mixture.
