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Brandy Butter, Brandy Sauce and Rum Sauce Recipes for Christmas

by KathleenDuffy

This article explains how to create four traditional sauce and butter recipes to accompany Christmas puddings and mince pies.

Christmas pudding is a traditional dish that benefits from the rich flavours of seasonal butters and sauces. Alcohol is the magic ingredient and, whether it’s rum or brandy, the results are equally rich and satisfying.

Here are four recipes to enhance those seasonal puddings and mince pies. Although it is possible to buy these accompaniments ready-made, it is simple and satisfying to make your own.

Victorian Christmas

Rich Brandy Butter

This kind of mixture is known as 'Hard Sauce' in the US and can actually be made not only with brandy, but rum and sherry too. The finished mixture can can be stored in the freezer in advance or refrigerated for up to four days beforehand.

Ingredients:

  • 50 g/2 oz butter
  • 125 g/4 oz icing sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 50 g/2 oz ground almonds
  • 1 dessertspoon brandy
  • 150 ml/¼ pint double cream (in the UK double cream must contain 48% fat. This means it can be whipped up easily and also can be used for piping).

Directions:

  1. Cream the butter with the icing sugar using soft but not melted butter.
  2. Beat in the egg together with the ground almonds.
  3. Whip up the cream until it forms soft peaks, then beat in the brandy.
  4. Fold this whipped cream/brandy mixture into the creamed mixture
  5. Before using, refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight if possible.

Smear generously over Christmas pudding and/or mince pies.

Simple Brandy Butter

Unlike the recipe for Rich Brandy Butter, this recipe is very basic. However, it is still delicious and, as a bonus, it is also economical.

Ingredients:

  • 75 g/3 oz unsalted butter
  • 75 g/3 oz fine caster sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons brandy

Directions:

  1. Cream the butter until it is white
  2. Gradually beat in the sugar
  3. Add the brandy 1 teaspoon at a time, making sure to beat each teaspoon in thoroughly. If the mixture shows signs of curdling, do not use the rest of the brandy.
  4. The sauce should become white and foamy.
  5. Transfer the sauce to a small serving dish and place in the refrigerator to become firm (i.e. buttery).

Again, serve with Christmas pudding and/or mince pies.

 

Brandy Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 300 ml/½ pint double cream
  • 1 tablespoon brandy
  • 25 g/1 oz soft brown sugar
  • 1 egg-white

Directions:

  1. Whisk the cream until it starts to thicken.
  2. Add the brandy and sugar and whisk until thick.
  3. Whisk the egg white until it is stiff but not dry. Make sure that you use a clean whisk in a clean basin otherwise the egg white may not stiffen.
  4. Use a metal spoon to fold the egg white into the cream mixture.
  5. Turn this mixture into a serving dish.

This is delicious poured over Christmas pudding.

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Rum Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 40 g/1½ oz cornflour
  • 600 ml/1 pint milk
  • 40 g/1½ oz sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of rum (or more!)

Directions:

  1. Blend cornflour with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cold milk
  2. Heat the rest of the milk. When it is near boiling point pour a little over the cornflour mixture.
  3. Stir and return it all once more to the pan.
  4. Sweeten with the sugar.
  5. Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
  6. Add the rum.
  7. Keep the sauce hot in a serving jug.
Christmas clip art

Christmas Serving Dishes

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Updated: 08/06/2013, KathleenDuffy
 
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Mira on 08/10/2013

Thank you Kathleen and Paula!

Guest on 08/08/2013

@KathleenDuffy yes Ma'am! I have to find something to rival the year my mum used Remy Martin to make the brandy butter after all ;-) @Mira most hotels will have a Christmas menu for those who want to enjoy Christmas and trimmings without the hassle. The worst thing is that some of them can be bland and tasteless due to the volume of meals being produced. But with care, a memorable Christmas experience can be had. Some hotels will have a package Christmas deal where you have all the parties and cameraderie plus the meals. Pubs, not so much, they're more about the bums on seats for meals and it can be a touch formulaic and soulless. My husband and our friends prefer to eat a meal at home for Christmas now rather than go out. We buy a top of the range meal deal or similar and a couple of good bottles of wine and have an evening in, cooking the meal between us. But for multi-national, our local Polish restaurant does an English Christmas dinner with a Polish twist. Now that's interesting.

KathleenDuffy on 08/08/2013

Hello Mira - You can get traditional Christmas food almost anywhere in the UK including most pubs, restaurants, cafes, etc. Of course London is a melting pot so lots of different nationalities have restaurants that might not serve up Christmas grub, but mostly it's not a problem. Some pubs do lovely Christmas dinners with nice atmosphere. I am sure if you search on the internet you'll find something to suit you. Standards vary - but it will be 'traditional'.

Mira on 08/08/2013

Hi again. I'd love to visit the UK at Christmastime and try all these traditional recipes. What would be a good place for that? You mentioned some residences in the country in one of your articles (I forget now what they were called). Would they serve "Christmas food"? :) Or do pubs serve it? I ate once in a pub when I visited London in 2011, and really enjoyed it.

KathleenDuffy on 08/07/2013

Then you must write it out by hand, preferably with a quill and proper ink, on parchment if possible! I don't want any excuses!:)

Guest on 08/07/2013

I would if I had a printer. But being ecologically sound and all that...

KathleenDuffy on 08/06/2013

Ha I love that! Thanks. (why not just print it off in Word?) :)

Guest on 08/06/2013

I wish this site had a favorite button so I could come back and look at this when I'm thinking Christmas in a few months...you may have just saved my husband's Christmas pudding, Kathleen.

KathleenDuffy on 08/06/2013

Yes, I do eat it with mince pies! Lovely! :)

Mira on 08/06/2013

I like your rich brandy butter sauce. Now I need the mince pie. Do you really eat that with mince pie? I'll have to try it sometime :)

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