Brandy Snaps Recipe

I've had a few requests for my recipe for brandy snaps recently - probably because Christmas is just around the corner - so I thought I'd better share it. But first, I have a little story for you...

When I was little, waaay back in the seventies, my Dad's work used to put on a really lavish Christmas party that my parents would take me and my sister Jo to every year (my sister Cass wasn't born yet - sorry Cass, you missed out!). These parties were amazing, and I would be beside myself with excitement as the Great Day approached. Most of the festivities took place in a lovely garden with immaculate lawns and a huge fir tree glittering with tinsel and baubles. There were pony rides, a merry-go-round, and piped Christmas music by the likes of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Bert Kaempfert and Mantovani wafting from the PA system. Father Christmas would sit on a throne beneath the fir tree and hand out presents (my favourite was two clockwork puppies in a little basket).

As if this doesn't all sound amazing enough, the best thing was the rare sense of autonomy that we, as kids, were afforded. We could eat and drink as much as we liked and were able to serve ourselves. There were metal troughs full of ice, packed with bottles of Coke, Fanta and Leed, and another icy trough loaded with Dixie Cup icecreams (they tasted all the better with those little wooden spoons, didn't they?). This incredible feast wasn't lunch either, this was just the hors d'oeuvre...

At lunchtime, the kids parted ways with the adults, and we had our own lunch room lined with long trestle tables covered with crisp white tablecloths and topped with platters crowded with immaculate little sandwich triangles, mini pies and pasties, and best of all...brandy snaps. All the other kids, obviously brainwashed by their parents, dutifully went for the sandwiches and other savouries first, but Jo and I made a beeline for those delicious little brandy snaps, as though we hadn't quite had enough sugar already, with all those drinks and icecreams. To cap off the best day ever, Father Christmas gave us all enormous bags of lollies to take home.

If I had three wishes, I think one of them would be to hop in a time machine and go back for one more Christmas as a kid. Anyway, enough nostalgia and on to brandy snaps!

VEGAN BRANDY SNAPS

125g (4oz) vegan margarine or butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
1 cup plain flour (all purpose flour), sifted
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Gently melt the margarine in a small saucepan with the sugar and golden syrup, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Cool the mixture slightly, then add the flour and ginger, and beat well.

Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper and make sure they're at least 10cm (4 inches) apart as they spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Here's where you have to work fast and have asbestos fingers (if you've never made them before, expect a few duds, but don't worry, you can eat those!). Let them cool slightly, then remove with a spatula and roll around the greased handle of a wooden spoon. Leave to set for a minute or so, then carefully slide off and place on a wire rack to cool.

You can store them in an airtight container for a few days, and fill with whipped cashew cream just before serving.

Makes around 30 brandy snaps.

Notes: - the mixture shouldn't be too thick. Once cooled, the brandy snaps should be thin, crisp and lacy, not thick and chewy, so make sure you put the exact amount of flour in, and bake them in the oven for long enough. - if you try to roll them when they've cooled too much, they'll crack, so if you get to the last couple on the tray and they're a bit stiff, put them back in the oven for about a minute to soften again. - beware, if you remove them too soon from the spoon handle, they collapse.

They're a bit fiddly, but worth it!

Vegan Whipped Cream

I've been experimenting with creating a vegan whipped cream recipe. My aim was to make non-dairy cream without a strong soy, almond or coconut flavour, that tastes mild & creamy so that it enhances rather than competes with the dishes it accompanies. Also, I wanted to make sure that once it's whipped, it's stable & doesn't deflate (I haven't used gums or stabilisers), & also has the right weight & mouthfeel. Most importantly, I wanted it to have the freshness of dairy cream - light, sweet, fluffy, melting & clean on the palate - not greasy like the non-dairy whips that contain hydrogenated oils. Although this cream is wonderfully rich & very close to dairy cream in taste & texture, it is not at all heavy or cloying.

My whipped cream recipe is based on that versatile little nut, the cashew, but unlike most cashew cream recipes, this one is not raw. By cooking the cashew mixture, it thickens & emulsifies, becoming sweeter & milder in flavour. A real bonus for people like me, who don't happen to own a high-power blender, is that for this recipe you only need a regular stick blender & food processor to achieve beautifully smooth cream (& a hand mixer for whipping). This recipe is also soy & gluten free (depending on the brand of margarine you use).

There are two recipes here. Dairy cream comes in different forms that have different uses, & I wanted this cream to be just as versatile, so there's a recipe for a Soft Whipped Cream, & one for a Firm Whipped Cream, depending on what you need it for. In addition to whipping, the basic cream recipe for the Soft Whip can be used unwhipped & unsweetened, in savoury dishes such as soups & sauces. It has the consistency of thickened cream, & can also be thinned down with a little non-dairy milk, to make a pouring cream. With the addition of something acidic, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, you can also make sour cream (I'd love to try actually using a culture some time!), & use the unwhipped mixture from either recipe as a base for creamy dips & dressings.

The Soft Whipped Cream is light & fluffy, with a soft consistency for dolloping, filling & frosting, but can still be loosely piped. It firms a little when refrigerated & doesn't deflate, so you can whip it in advance & serve later.

The Firm Whipped Cream also has a light, fluffy consistency & remains aerated if you whip it in advance, but it firms up quite a lot when you refrigerate it, so you may prefer to pipe it as soon as it's whipped - it holds its shape very well. It makes a great frosting & filling for layered cakes, especially after it's set in the fridge for a while.

Please keep in mind that just like dairy cream, both the soft & firm whip will soften considerably under hot conditions & are best served straight from the fridge. The most robust option if your dish will be sitting out of the fridge for some time, is to use the variation of Firm Whipped Cream that gives an even firmer result.

Soft Whipped Cream is best for... loosely piping serving with fruit (strawberries & cream - yum!) scones & jam, as well as dolloping on cake, pie, etc frosting the top of cakes piping into brandy snaps, cream puffs, & other pastries icecreams, parfaits, fools, & custards

Firm Whipped Cream is best for... piping (it holds its shape very well) quinelling frosting & decorating cakes layering within cakes & filling pastries icecreams, parfaits & mousse

If you happen to make this whipped cream recipe (or any of my recipes), I would love to know how it works out for you, so please leave me a comment. If you upload any photos of your results or blog about it, post a link, I'd love to see!

A little note about copyright... I don't like having to mention this, but I'd just like to remind everyone that my blog content is protected by copyright. I have a copyright policy that outlines the conditions under which you can share my content. Unless you have asked my permission & I've said yes, you are not allowed to copy my blog posts. You may share a small excerpt/preview of text along with one of my pics, but you must always accompany that with a credit & link back to my blog. If in doubt, please read my policy & email me with any questions.

Now, let's whip some cream! :)

Whipped Cashew Cream

SOFT WHIPPED CREAM

The cream:
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt

Whipping it:
3 tablespoons icing sugar, sieved, or more to taste (powdered sugar)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, according to taste
4 tablespoons vegan margarine (please see above note)

Drain & rinse the cashews & put into the bowl of your food processor with about half of the filtered water & process to a thick paste. It will probably still be a bit grainy, but that's okay.

Pour the cashew mixture & remaining water into a saucepan & heat very gently, stirring with a silicone spatula making sure it doesn't catch on the bottom. Add the canola oil, sugar & salt. Keep stirring until the mixture has thickened & is gently bubbling. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly - don't let it catch!

Take off the heat & blend with a stick blender until smooth (you might have to do this in a few stages if your stick blender's engine gets hot!). Cooking the cashews softens them & thickens the mixture considerably, so it is easier to process to a smooth consistency without the need for a high power blender. It shouldn't take more than 3-5 minutes of blending to get a smooth result.

Transfer the cream to a container & allow to chill in the fridge for at least a few hours - must be thoroughly chilled before whipping.

When it's nice & cold, spoon the cream into a mixing bowl, add the icing sugar & vanilla, & combine with a hand mixer for a minute or so. Measure the margarine into a small bowl & beat it with the hand mixer until pale & fluffy, then add it to the cream, beating with the hand mixer for a minute or two. The cream will become light & fluffy, holding soft peaks. If you find your cream is a little too soft or curdled, add more margarine, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the correct consistency. May be refrigerate until needed without losing aeration - it will firm slightly when chilled.

FIRM WHIPPED CREAM

The cream:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons coconut oil (expeller pressed or refined - the kind with no discernible coconut flavour or aroma)
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt

Whipping it:
3 tablespoons icing sugar, sieved, or more to taste (powdered sugar)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, according to taste
4 tablespoons vegan margarine (please see above note)

Drain & rinse the cashews & put into the bowl of your food processor with about half of the filtered water & process to a thick paste. Add remaining water & process for a couple of minutes. It will probably still be a bit grainy, but that's okay.

Pour the cashew mixture into a saucepan & heat very gently, stirring with a silicone spatula making sure it doesn't catch on the bottom. Add the coconut oil, sugar & salt. Keep stirring until the mixture has thickened & is gently bubbling. Allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring constantly - don't let it catch!

Take off the heat & blend with a stick blender until smooth (you might have to do this in a few stages if your stick blender's engine gets hot!). Cooking the cashews softens them & thickens the mixture considerably, so it is easier to process to a smooth consistency without the need for a high power blender. It shouldn't take more than 3-5 minutes of blending to get a smooth result.

Transfer the cream to a container & allow to chill in the fridge for at least a few hours - must be thoroughly chilled before whipping.

When it's nice & cold, spoon the cream into a mixing bowl, add the icing sugar & vanilla, & combine with a hand mixer for a minute or so. Measure the margarine into a small bowl & beat it with the hand mixer until pale & fluffy, then add it to the cream, beating with the hand mixer for a minute or two. The cream will become thick & fluffy. If you find your cream is a little soft or curdled, add more margarine, a tablespoon at a time, until you achieve the correct consistency. May be refrigerate until needed without losing aeration; it will firm up quite a bit when chilled.

Firmer Whip:
If you want an even firmer consistency, add an extra tablespoon of coconut oil when you're cooking the cashew mixture, as well as a teaspoon of agar powder blended into 2 tablespoons of water. Make sure you simmer the mixture long enough to dissolve the agar & activate it into a gel.

Variations:

Boozy Cream: Instead of adding vanilla extract, you could try adding a couple of tablespoons of liqueur to Firm Whipped Cream - yum!

Chocolate Cream: I have made Chocolate Whipped Cream by melting about 100g (3.5oz) of dark chocolate into the cashew cream mixture as it cooked. When you whip the margarine into the chilled cream, you can see little flecks contrasting against the chocolate. I microwaved the whipped cream in 5 second bursts, mixing after each interval, until the margarine had only just melted into the cream. You lose a little of the aeration, but still end up with a light mousse-like consistency. I recommend the Firm Whipped Cream recipe if making chocolate cream.

Berry Cream: You could also try adding pureed, sieved berries (raspberries or strawberries would be nice!) to Firm Whipped Cream just before whipping in the margarine.

Creme Patissiere: Fold a cup of Soft Whipped Cream into a cup of chilled vanilla custard to make Creme Patissiere. Maybe add coffee, liqueur or pureed fruit.

Raspberry Fool: Add extra icing sugar to the Soft Whipped Cream recipe so it's nice & sweet. Gently fold through some lightly crushed raspberries (or other soft fruit) but don't over-mix. Heap into parfait glasses & top with a fresh raspberry & sprig of mint. Wouldn't it be nice served with a hazelnut shortbread?

Lime & Coriander Sour Cream: A savoury idea for the cream mixture from the Soft Whipped Cream recipe. Omit 2 tablespoons from the cup of filtered water, add 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar & an extra pinch of sea salt while cooking. Blend until smooth, as usual & allow to chill - but don't whip it! Instead, mix in the juice & rind of 1 small lime, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander (cilantro), 2 finely chopped spring onions, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin & some ground black pepper. Serve with chili, enchiladas, tacos, etc.

Troubleshooting:

A few words about the margarine you use... Someone reported that their cream didn't whip properly, & I think the margarine is the culprit - it's the one factor I can't thoroughly test because I only have one vegan margarine available to me, Nuttelex, which I recommend to anyone in Australia to use for this recipe (Nuttelex is 70% fat, 6% from palm oil, with no hydrogenated oils). For people who don't have Nuttelex available, I recommend a full-fat margarine, not low-fat or whipped, as the high water content could cause curdling & the lack of fat means it won't whip properly. I am going to test the recipe again, using the vegan butter recipe from VeganBaking, & will update if that works (I hope it does, because a palm oil free option would be great!). Meanwhile, I would love some more feedback if anyone makes the cream successfully with something like Earth Balance Original (which is 78% fat) or Pure Sunflower (67% fat).

Still a little curdly? As I mentioned above, if your cream isn't emulsifying properly, the type of margarine you use could be the culprit. Adding another tablespoon or two of margarine can help if your cream splits or curdles, but another solution is to add a tiny pinch of guar gum - and I mean tiny, because adding too much will make your cream take on an unpleasantly heavy, gummy consistency rather than being light and fluffy. Guar gum is a natural emulsifier, and if used in moderation, can help you achieve the right consistency.

The whisk attachment... I have found that the balloon whisk attachments for my hand mixer don't whip the cream as successfully as the regular beater attachments.

Is your cream still a little grainy? Depending on the type of food processor or stick blender you use, you might find the cashews don't blend down as smoothly as you like, in which case, try this... Instead of soaking the whole cashews overnight, place the dry unsoaked nuts into your food processor & grind them to a fine powder (a little crumbly is okay). Then stir them into the quantity of filtered water stipulated in the recipe (straight into the saucepan is fine) & leave the mixture to sit for at least two hours (the longer than better, although put it in the fridge if you're leaving it overnight) & then carry on with the recipe as written. This is also good if you're in a rush or forgot to soak your cashews overnight!