Friday 21 December 2018

How to Make Intoxicatingly Delicious Brandy Butter

Brandy Butter RecipeBrandy butter, at least in my house, is the main reason for having Christmas pudding.  And if either of these is the bought variety I get into real trouble.  For the Christmas pud I always use Delia Smith’s recipe for Traditional Christmas pudding and see no reason to mess around with any other because what could be better than fruits and nuts steeped overnight in stout and rum and then steamed slowly for hours? 

My brandy butter is from my mother’s recipe.  Forget the icing sugar, the rum butters and the bought stuff unless you really love them and give this a try.  This brandy butter is made in about 10 minutes in a big mixer (you can use a hand mixer if the butter is soft enough but you will have to make sure you beat it for a long time) and is utterly and intoxicatingly delicious.

For about 8 people you will need:
250g or 1 block of butter – I usually use Lurpak slightly salted.
4 heaped tablespoons caster sugar – white or golden
100ml Brandy – Always to taste and whatever I have.  This year it was Martell.  Any brandy or Armagnac will do.

Put the butter out so it is at room temperature and then cut in small pieces into the bowl of your mixer.  Start beating on high.

Add caster sugar gradually still beating on high, your mixture will go creamy, fluffy and lighter in appearance.  Stop beating and taste to make sure you’re happy with the sweetness.  If you want to, add a bit more.

Keep beating and add the brandy a few drops or a teaspoon at a time.  If you add it too fast your mixture can separate.  You need to stand over the mixer and make sure every addition is fully absorbed into the butter and sugar.  Once all the brandy is in stop and taste.  My family likes quite a strong brandy butter…….so I usually have to add a bit more.

Then put into a bowl, cover with cling film or foil and into your fridge.  On Christmas Day take it out early to soften a bit as it will go quite hard.

Brandy butter is wonderful with Christmas pud and also excellent with mince pies.  It doesn’t last long.