Guest Author - Mary Ellen Sweeney

Brandy Butter (Hard Sauce)

1 cup butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup brandy (or whiskey, Irish or otherwise)

Soften butter. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it’s fluffy. Slowly add an equal amount or more of confectioner’s sugar. You will see that the mixture changes texture. Slowly add the brandy after this textural change in the sugar/butter blend. Beat further until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Spoon the brandy butter into serving dishes and chill until firm. When turning the mixture into the serving dish, finish off the top by swirling it into a circular pattern with the bottom of the spoon for a decorative effect. Maybe a little corsage of holly (with red berries, of course) will further dress the dish.

Brandy butter, or hard sauce, is a rich, delicious accompaniment to warm plum pudding (also known as Christmas pudding) and other warm, moist fruited desserts. Try it on pancakes!

Happy Christmas to all!

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please put a penny in the old man's hat. If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do. If you haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you!

This rhyme is often recited at Christmas while the purses lighten in anticipation of the biggest celebration of Christian Ireland's calendar.