Brandy pudding was a big thing over Christmas time when my Great Granny Ida was still around, she used to wrap pennies in rice paper and plant them into the batter. It was so magical to find a penny in your bowl of pud. She would do the same thing with her Christmas pudding. What a great memory. I don’t have her recipe unfortunately, but this is a recipe we used often at PnP Good Food Studio for functions and classes.
Who doesn’t love tipsy tart? Sweet, sticky and boozy. Brilliant.
Sticky Brandy Puddings
250 g dates, chopped
175 ml boiling water
1 t (5 ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 T (15 ml) butter
85 g (100 ml) castor sugar
1 egg
225 g (375 ml) cake flour
1 T (15 ml) baking powder
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Mix the chopped dates, boiling water and bicarbonate of soda.
Beat butter and castor sugar together, using an electric beater, until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until creamy.
Sift dry ingredients and fold into the egg and sugar mixture alternately with the dates.
Transfer the mixture into 6 greased small foil pie dishes and bake in a preheated oven for +- 25 minutes. Or bake in a medium baking dish for 35- 40 minutes.
Syrup
300 g (375 ml) brown sugar
300 ml water
½ c (125 ml) brandy
1 t (5 ml) butter
1 t (5 ml) vanilla essence
Bring the sugar, water and brandy to the boil then add the butter.
Allow to cool and add the vanilla essence.
Remove tarts from the oven when ready and pierce a few holes into each one with a cake tester. Pour syrup over the tarts immediately.
Serve hot with double thick cream.
TIPS:
For a more festive flavour, add 1 ½ t (7.5 ml) mixed spice. To die for!
Add 100 g pecan nuts, chopped.
Photography by Michelle Parkin.