Hard Sauce

Hard sauce can be purchased pre-made, but it is extremely easy to make at home. The recipe below is adapted from the one my mother used (from the Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook). Nigella Lawson’s recipe for brandy butter is almost identical, although she adds 1/4 cup ground almonds after the icing sugar. Serve with baked or steamed puddings, or with mincemeat pies. In the southern states, hard sauce is also made with bourbon and served with bread pudding.

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

1-3 tablespoons brandy

Cream the butter with electric beater. Gradually add the icing sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add brandy to taste, mixing until fully incorporated. Chill before serving.