Cape Brandy Pudding Food

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.

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 SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepot, heat the butter, sugar, salt, and water for 5 minutes. Then add the brandy and vanilla extract and heat an additional minute.

CAPE BRANDY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, salt, and water for 5 minutes over medium heat.
• Add the brandy and vanilla extract and heat an additional minute.

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.