How to Make Traditional British Brandy Butter

Brandy butter is traditionally served with warm mince pies and Christmas pudding, but melts lusciously into any dessert, making it completely over-the-top sinful.

Growing up in a half-British family, I sometimes had a hard time knowing which Christmas traditions belonged to which culture. My American friends hung stockings for Santa to fill – we put out pillowcases. I thought perhaps we were just greedy but, since moving to the UK, I’ve discovered that pillowcases are the norm here. Mystery solved! We didn’t often have Christmas crackers (you pull the ends apart with a bang and reveal the paper crown, plastic toy and silly joke inside) because we couldn’t find them, but we’d encountered them at the British school we attended in the UAE. Jam tarts and mince pies were always standard fare at both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it seems those were gifts from the English side as well, not to mention the marzipan fruits my mom used to make, painted delicately with food colouring.

Bizarrely, though, other standard British traditions were absent. For example, we never had Christmas cake (similar to the much-reviled fruitcake with which Americans are familiar, but covered in scrumptious marzipan and royal icing, like a British wedding cake) or Christmas pudding (also called ‘plum pudding’ or ‘figgy pudding’, this is a dense, steamed cake filled with nuts and dried fruits, soaked in booze then set on fire at the table).

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Another wonderful classic I discovered upon arriving on these shores is brandy butter. It’s all in the name really. Brandy – yum. Butter – yum. Put the two together and it’s, well you get the picture. Brandy butter is traditionally served with warm mince pies and Christmas pudding, melting lusciously into the dense dessert, making it completely over-the-top sinful. It is sometimes replaced by the lighter variant of brandy cream (poured or whipped – simply add a glug of brandy to your whipping cream) or even brandy ice cream (check my easy ice cream recipe but leave out the candy canes and add the booze).

Brandy butter is usually spooned out of a bowl, and by the way, do not sleep on putting this on your morning toast (cheers!) or with any other dessert where melted butter sounds like a good idea (French toast, pancakes, anyone?).

How to Make Traditional British Brandy Butter

Prepare the Butter:

1. Soften the butter:
   • Leave the butter at room temperature until it’s soft enough to mix easily. This ensures a smooth consistency.
2. Cream the butter and sugar:
   • Using a hand mixer or wooden spoon, cream the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Mix until just combined but still fluffy.

Add Flavor:

3. Incorporate zest and cinnamon:
   • Gently fold in the mandarin zest and a pinch of cinnamon. Mix until evenly distributed.
4. Add brandy and vanilla:
   • Slowly drizzle in the brandy while mixing continuously. Add the vanilla extract. Take care to add the liquids gradually to prevent curdling.

Final Steps:

5. Transfer to a serving bowl:
   • Spoon the mixture into a bowl for serving. Smooth the top with a spatula.
6. Chill slightly before serving:
   • Cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up. Serve at room temperature for the best spreadable consistency.

101 Guide to Succeeding with Brandy Butter

Tips for Success:

1. Prevent Curdling:
   • Add the brandy very gradually while mixing continuously to maintain a smooth texture.
2. Zest for Flavor:
   • Use a fine microplane grater for the zest to avoid large chunks in the butter.
3. Softened Butter:
   • Ensure the butter is soft but not melted; melted butter will lead to a runny mixture.
4. Consistency:
   • Refrigerate briefly before serving to help the butter firm up, but allow it to come back to room temperature for easy spreading.
5. Serving Suggestions:
   • Serve with mince pies, Christmas pudding, fruitcake, scones, or French toast.

How to Make Traditional British Brandy Butter

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• Author: Ruby Moukli
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

Brandy butter is traditionally served with warm mince pies and Christmas pudding, but melts lusciously into any dessert, making it completely over-the-top sinful.

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Ingredients

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1 cup (200 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

Zest of 1 mandarin orange (or tangerine, satsuma, or clementine)

Pinch of cinnamon

3 tablespoons brandy

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Prepare the Butter:

1. Soften the butter:
   • Leave the butter at room temperature until it’s soft enough to mix easily. This ensures a smooth consistency.
2. Cream the butter and sugar:
   • Using a hand mixer or wooden spoon, cream the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Mix until just combined but still fluffy.

Add Flavor:

3. Incorporate zest and cinnamon:
   • Gently fold in the mandarin zest and a pinch of cinnamon. Mix until evenly distributed.
4. Add brandy and vanilla:
   • Slowly drizzle in the brandy while mixing continuously. Add the vanilla extract. Take care to add the liquids gradually to prevent curdling.

Final Steps:

5. Transfer to a serving bowl:
   • Spoon the mixture into a bowl for serving. Smooth the top with a spatula.
6. Chill slightly before serving:
   • Cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes to firm up. Serve at room temperature for the best spreadable consistency.

Notes

Tips for Success:

1. Prevent Curdling:
   • Add the brandy very gradually while mixing continuously to maintain a smooth texture.
2. Zest for Flavor:
   • Use a fine microplane grater for the zest to avoid large chunks in the butter.
3. Softened Butter:
   • Ensure the butter is soft but not melted; melted butter will lead to a runny mixture.
4. Consistency:
   • Refrigerate briefly before serving to help the butter firm up, but allow it to come back to room temperature for easy spreading.
5. Serving Suggestions:
   • Serve with mince pies, Christmas pudding, fruitcake, scones or French toast.

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Mixing
• Cuisine: British

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 tbsp
• Calories: 140
• Sugar: 12g
• Sodium: 20mg
• Fat: 10g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 0g
• Cholesterol: 30mg