Best Hard Sauce Recipes

NANA'S TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS STEAMED PLUM PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the molasses, butter, milk, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Next, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions. Toss candied fruit and raisins lightly with flour to prevent sinking and add to batter. Stir in brandy.
• Pour into a greased and sugared steam pudding mold and place on a rack in a large covered pot with water that comes halfway up the sides of the mold. Cover and steam for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure water hasn't boiled out. Let cool for 5 minutes on a rack before turning out. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a sprig of holly and Hard Sauce.
• Beat all ingredients together until very well combined. Serve with pudding.

BLUEBERRY PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth; mix in egg. Stir in the milk. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix well. Fold in the blueberries. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• In a medium bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar and butter together until smooth. Beat in the egg gradually, then stir in vanilla. Chill until serving. Serve chilled sauce over warm pudding.

BRANDY BUTTER (HARD SAUCE)

Steps:

• Place butter, confectioners sugar, orange rind, orange juice, and brandy or cognac into food processor and mix until smooth. Pile sauce into serving bowl and refrigerate. Remove from fridge about one hour before serving.

PERSIMMON PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the pudding, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with the persimmon pulp, brandy, eggs, and baking soda mixture. Stir in the vanilla, spices, walnuts, and raisins and mix on low until the butter comes together, about 5 minutes.
• Butter the top and bottom of a 2-quart pudding mold with a lid. Spoon in the mixture. Put the buttered lid on tightly and lock into place. Put the mold in a bigger pot filled with water to come halfway up the side of the mold; cover the pot. It is necessary to have a well-buttered mold and enough water for ample steam for this pudding to come out right. Bring the water to a simmer and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 2 hours. Make sure the water doesn't evaporate; add more hot water if it does. The pudding should be checked with a cake tester. When the tester comes out clean, the pudding is done. Take the mold out of the water and unmold when cool, 1 to 2 hours.
• While the pudding is steaming, prepare the hard sauce. Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Beat in the brandy. Chille at least 1 hour. Serve with the warm pudding.

HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, nutmeg, allspice and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and extracts. Serve with spice cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS PUDDING WITH ORANGE HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Combine all ingredients in small bowl; stir to blend well. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
• For pudding:
• Coat inside and center tube of 6- to 8-cup pudding mold or Bundt cake pan with nonstick spray, then generously with butter. Sift flour and next 6 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then marmalade, molasses and orange peel. Add flour mixture and beat just until blended. Transfer batter to prepared mold. Cover mold tightly with foil.
• Place steamer rack in large pot. Place pudding mold on rack. Fill pot with enough water to come halfway up sides of mold. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover pot and steam pudding until tester inserted near center comes out clean, adding more boiling water as needed to maintain level, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Using oven mitts as aid, remove mold from pot. Uncover and let stand 10 minutes. Cut around top center and sides of pudding to loosen. Turn pudding out onto rack and cool 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Return to mold; cover and chill. Resteam 45 minutes to heat through, then turn out of mold.) Transfer pudding to platter. Cut pudding into wedges; serve with sauce.

FRESH PEACH DUMPLINGS SERVED WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter flavored shortening using your hands or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water over the dough, and stir until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough briefly, then divide into 6 pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• On a lightly floured surface roll out each piece of dough into a thin circle. Place two peach halves together, and wrap in each circle of dough, sealing at the top. Place the dumplings onto an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake dumplings for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. While the dumplings are baking, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, egg, nutmeg, vanilla and salt using an electric mixer on low speed. Gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar. Spoon over warm dumplings.

CRANBERRY STEAMED PUDDING AND HARD SAUCE OR LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Mix the pudding ingredients above and then transfer the batter to molds or greased coffee can(cover with foil) on the stove in a pan such as a Dutch oven. To prevent stove burns use a vegetable steamer to "raise up the pudding molds. Fill dutch oven with water to half way up the can or mold, cook the batter on low to medium for one or two hours with a lid on the dutch oven. This method is called a "Bain Marie" or cooked in a water bath! Seal the pudding mold with foil to prevent the batter from getting wet! Be sure to check the dutch oven to make sure you don't boil away the water. If you need to add water be sure the water is very hot or boiling when adding more to the pan. Check the pudding with a cake tester or a wooden stick, making sure the batter is no longer gooey. Remove the dutch oven from the hot burner and cool the pudding slightly(15 minutes) so you can invert it onto a serving plate. Slice and serve warm with the hard sauce or lemon sauce! Microwave directions: Grease a 1 quart round bowl (not too deep); pour in the batter and cover with a piece of parchment. Microwave 6-8 minutes on full power or until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Remove from the microwave and let sit 15 minutes before inverting on a serving plate.
• 2. For the Hard Sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients and Scald in a sauce pan on the stove. Remove promptly so the sauce does not scorch. Serve over the cranberry pudding. Lemon Sauce: *Heat butter & sugar in double boiler until sugar dissolves. Pour in food processor. With lid on, drizzle beaten egg slowly into hot mixture so egg doesn't cook or scramble. Add lemon juice. May adjust lemon juice to taste. *I have made this hundreds of times & could never get the sugar to dissolve completely without going funky, so don't worry. Just cook a few minutes until mixed thoroughly & put in processor. Takes care of it. This Lemon Sauce is from our friend Peggi(cookiequeen) and goes along with her bread pudding which is to die for. https://www.justapinch.com/recipe/cookiequeen/peggis-bread-pudding-with-lemon-sauce/pudding?page=5#comment205548
• 3. Crock Pot Directions: Cover mold tightly with foil. Set mold into 3 1/2 or 4 qt. crock pot with liner in place. Pour 1 c water into cooker around mold. Cover; cook on low-heat about 5 1/2 hrs. or high for 3 hrs. or till pudding springs back when touched.Remove mold from crock pot and let stand for 10 minutes. Carefully un-mold onto serving platter. Serve warm

HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Put ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth and creamy. Put sauce in tightly covered jar. Refrigerate.
• Remove from refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

HARD SAUCE FOR CAKE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 15 minutes until smooth, thickened and clear. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and butter. Serve warm over cake.

MAPLE-GLAZED FRESH HAM WITH HARD CIDER SAUCE

Steps:

• If brining the ham, combine salt and white sugar with 2 quarts water in a pot large enough to fit the ham comfortably. Stir well to dissolve. Add ham, cover, and place in refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Remove, rinse well, and dry with paper towels.
• In a small bowl, combine raisins and rum and allow to sit while ham cooks, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place brown sugar, sage, mustard, lemon zest, garlic, salt and peppercorns in a blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and process until smooth.
• Using a sharp knife, score entire surface of ham in a crosshatch pattern, cutting down just through skin to the flesh underneath. (If you are cutting to the right depth, the skin will spread apart a bit as you cut.) Rub outside of ham all over with spice mixture, pressing it gently into crosshatch spaces between the skin. Put roast on a rack in a large roasting pan and place in oven.
• After 20 minutes, reduce oven setting to 300 degrees. After 1 hour, begin painting ham every 15 minutes or so with maple syrup. Continue roasting until the very center of ham reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, 2 to 2 1/2 hours total cooking time. (Begin checking at 1 1/2 hours to be sure.) To check for doneness, insert a meat thermometer into the absolute center of the roast, let it sit for 5 seconds, then take the reading.
• While ham is cooking, place cider in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high, and simmer vigorously until liquid is reduced by about half, about 20 minutes.
• When ham is done, remove it from roasting pan, cover it loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Tip roasting pan to the side so you can spoon off all the fat from pan juices, then place pan on stove over medium-high heat. Add reduced cider, and bring to a simmer, scraping bottom of pan to free the browned bits. Skim any film off surface and season liquid as needed with salt and pepper. Add rum-soaked raisins, along with any remaining rum, and stir to combine. Pour into a gravy boat.
• Carve ham into thick slices, drizzle with raisin-cider sauce and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

STEAMED CRANBERRY PUDDING WITH HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream shortening and sugar; beat in eggs and molasses. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in the cranberries. Pour into a well-greased and floured 6-cup heat-proof mold. Cover tightly with a double layer of foil. Place on a rack in a stockpot. Fill stockpot with boiling water to a depth of 1 in.; cover stockpot and boil gently. Replace water as needed. , Steam about 3 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before unmolding. Let pudding cool 30 minutes before slicing. , For hard sauce, combine sugar, butter and cream in a saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Serve pudding and sauce warm.

HARD-BOILED EGGS WITH MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Lower the eggs into the boiling water. Bring the water back to a very gentle boil, and cook the eggs for 8 to 9 minutes. Drain off the water, and shake the pan to crack the shells of the eggs. Then, add ice and water to cover, and let the eggs cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the mustard sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients except the oil in a bowl. Add the oil slowly, mixing it in with a whisk or a spoon. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.
• Shell the eggs, and cut them in half lengthwise. The center of the yolks should be slightly soft. Divide the lettuce leaves among six plates, and place two halves cut side up on top of the lettuce on each plate. Coat the eggs with the mustard sauce, and serve immediately.

PEAR AND SOUR CHERRY BROWN BETTY WITH BRANDY HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the hard sauce, in a medium bowl set an electric mixer on high and beat the butter until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add confectioners' sugar. When the sugar is incorporated, set the speed back to high. Add the brandy 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until combined. Beat in the nutmeg. Transfer the sauce to a ramekin or bowl, cover and refrigerate. Hard sauce can be made at least a week ahead, but allow it to come to room temperature before serving (about 20 minutes).
• To make the brown betty, heat the Cognac or brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the liquid has come to a simmer, turn off the heat and add the cherries. Allow them to absorb most of the liquid, about 20 minutes.
• While cherries are standing, heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture for sprinkling. Add bread, butter and lemon zest. Toss until sugar has dissolved and bread is completely coated.
• In a shallow 1 1/2-quart gratin dish (or a 9-by-9-inch pan), scatter a little under half the bread cubes. Layer half the pear slices and half the cherries (along with any liquid) on top. Cover with a cup of bread crumbs and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons cider. Layer remaining pears, cherries and bread. Sprinkle top with remaining cider and reserved sugar-and-spice mixture.
• Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Take off foil and continue baking, until crumbs are golden brown and pears are very soft, about 15 minutes more. Serve warm with dollops of hard sauce.

HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix together the sugar, butter, vanilla and egg in a saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar melts. Add the brandy and stir for 1 minute. Add the nutmeg and orange zest, and serve warm.

JELLIED CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH HARD CIDER

Steps:

• Combine the cider, sugar, apple, allspice berries, peppercorns and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring once, until the apple starts to fall apart and the liquid is syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Add the cranberries and cook, stirring and skimming the foam off the top until the berries burst, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender and puree until almost smooth.
• Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids; smooth the top. Let cool 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in by degrees the brandy and a drop of almond essence.

PORK CHOPS WITH HARD CIDER PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the spice rub, in a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
• Slash the edges of the chops in 2 or 3 places to prevent curling.
• Sprinkle rub all over the chops and let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• Coat the bottom of a large, heavy frying pan with the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chops, in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes on each side.
• Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5-7 minutes longer, turning once or twice. Test the meat for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer away from the bone or by cutting into the meat close to the bone.
• Remove from heat just before the meat is done, when the internal temperature is 145 degrees F (63 C). Pork loin is done when the internal temperature is 150F/65C, but it will continue to cook while resting).
• Transfer to a platter and let rest, tented loosely with aluminum foil, while you prepare the pan sauce.
• To make the pan sauce, add the cider to the same pan and deglaze by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
• Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium and whisk in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and Tabasco.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes longer, whisking often.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Transfer the chops to individual plates. Spoon some of the sauce over the chops and serve. Pass additional sauce at the table.

STEAMED CHOCOLATE PUDDING & HARD SAUCE

Steps:

• hard Sauce: Chill and serve on top of steamy pudding.
• Cream butter with sugar and egg.
• Mix all dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
• Add melted chocolate.
• Pour into greased pudding mold.
• Steam in simmering water for 2 1/2 hours.
• This can be done by filling a large casserole with water, enough to go 1/2 height of the mold.

HARD-SHELL ICE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine chocolate chips, butter and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Serve warm over ice cream (sauce will harden). Sprinkle with almonds. Refrigerate any leftovers. Sauce can be reheated in the microwave.