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

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.

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.

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.

DRUNKEN BRANDY-PEACH BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE BREAD PUDDING: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar, half-and-half, and cinnamon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. (No need to boil the mixture.) Remove the saucepan from the heat.
• Whisk the 3 eggs in a bowl until the whites and yolks are combined. Pour about 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking as you pour. (This tempers the eggs, which keeps them from curdling when they are mixed into the hot cream mixture.) Pour the tempered egg mixture into the cream mixture left in the saucepan and whisk until the sauce is smooth.
• Gently combine the bread cubes and peaches in a large bowl. Spoon into the prepared pan. Pour the sauce over the peach-bread mixture and let sit for about 30 minutes to let the sauce soak into the bread. Sprinkle the pecans on top.
• Bake until the pudding is firm and lightly browned on top, about 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature with warm Peach Brandy Sauce.
• TO MAKE THE PEACH BRANDY SAUCE: Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a saucepan set over medium heat. Remove the mixture from the heat. In a bowl, whisk the 1 egg with a fork. Temper the egg by adding about 2 tablespoons of the butter-sugar mixture to the egg and whisk constantly until the egg is incorporated. Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining sugar-butter mixture and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Add the salt and whisk in the brandy. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve. Pour it over the bread putting as soon as it comes out of the oven.
• do it early
• The bread pudding can be made up to 12 hours in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Warm in a 300°F oven. The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. Reheat it in a heavy saucepan set over low heat until it is warm but not hot; or microwave it on medium power in a microwave-safe container until warm, about 1 to 2 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.

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.