Quick Brandy, Rum or Cointreau Sauce
Beautifully creamy sauce ideal for your Christmas pudding or warm mince pies. This quick recipe uses cornflour to thicken the sauce rather than using a traditional roux.
Best made several days in advance, refrigerate and reheat when required.
Ingredients: Yields around 1.2 kg/8-10 portions
2 tablespoons. cornflour
400ml double cream
100ml milk
50 g caster sugar plus to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla paste (available from Waitrose)
3-4 tablespoons brandy, dark rum or Cointreau to taste
Method:
Put the cornflour in a small bowl and mix with 4 tablespoons of the milk. Pour the remaining milk, cream and vanilla paste into a pan, mix in 50g sugar together with your chosen spirit adding more or less to taste. Bring to the boil, and whisking constantly add the cornflour and heat until sauce thickens. Taste adding more sugar if required.
If sauce is too thick add a little milk or if too runny, mix a little more cornflour with a little milk, add and re-boil until it thickens.
Strain into a container or basin, cover the surface of the sauce with cling film to stop a skin forming. Allow to cool and refrigerate for up to a week.
To Serve:
Place into a saucepan with a table spoon of milk. Gently heat whilst stirring over a low heat until the sauce boils, then pour into a jug and serve.