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 Christmas dessert including hard sauce (lower center) for pudding (and on tarts at upper left) | |
| Type | Sauce |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | England |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Butter,sugar, flavouring (rum,brandy,whiskey,sherry,vanilla or other) |
Hard sauce (chiefly US)[1] is a sweet, richdessert sauce made bycreaming or beatingbutter andsugar withrum (rum butter),brandy (brandy butter),whiskey,sherry (sherry butter),vanilla or other flavourings. It is served cold, often with hot desserts.
It is typically served withplum pudding,bread pudding,Indian pudding,hasty pudding, and other heavypuddings as well as withfruitcakes andgingerbread.
In theUnited Kingdom, brandy butter and rum butter are particularly associated with theChristmas andNew Year season andChristmas pudding and warmmince pies, serving as a seasonal alternative tocream,ice cream orcustard. AtCambridge, it is also known asSenior Wrangler sauce.
Rum butter specifically is typically found inCumbria and is not common in other regions of the UK, while brandy butter is found nationwide and is a more commonplace Christmas accompaniment.[2]
Though it is called a sauce, it is neither liquid nor smooth, with a consistency more akin to whipped butter. It is easy to make and keeps for months under refrigeration. It can be pressed into a decorative mold before chilling.
Under European Community regulations, to be called rum/brandy/sherry butter, it must contain at least 20%butterfat.[3]
