Brandy Snaps

Brandy snaps, served with ice cream, make for a wonderful dessert. Commonly found here in the United Kingdom and Ireland, nobody can resist the golden, sweet, crispy treats which ultimately makes them so addictive! It’s been a while since I posted a dessert recipe, hasn’t it? The last time I published something sweet was just before Christmas. Remember my  Christmas pavolva wreath and risalamande? 

I have to pat myself on the shoulder that could manage to go almost a whole month without a dessert. It definitely helped get my waistline back into shape after all those feasts over the holiday period. However, my sweet tooth has been craving a decadent dessert. As you can imagine, I was very eager and excited to make these brandy snaps. They didn’t last very long. Oops. You’ll soon understand why though! These brandy snaps are definitely for special occasions such birthdays, or even the upcoming Valentine’s Day. Surprise your loved one by making these.

brandy snaps with speakeasy ice creams

Ask yourself this – when was the last time you enjoyed an ice cream with alcohol flavours? My bet is that most of you would have never tried this, as incorporating alcohol into ice cream is quite a challenge. The alcohol can easily ruin the consistency and texture of an ice cream. So, unless you are a pro, you will suffer with infusing alcohol with ice cream from scratch. Luckily, there is a fabulous company dedicated to making a whole range of alcohol flavoured ice cream, using only top notch artisan products. Thank you Speakeasy Ice Creams for allowing me to pair it with my brandy snaps!

Speakeasy Ice Creams was not an ice cream company at first. Back in the day, it was also known as a Blind Tiger. It was a secret bar selling specialty and unique alcohol brands during the prohibition era. As a result, Speakeasy Ice Creams was launched to create their “indulgent, deliciously smooth, alcohol infused ice cream”, only using the best of both ingredients. You can be sure that each tub of ice cream is beautifully balanced and perfect in texture. Why not treat yourself with luxurious ice cream and pair it with either brandy snaps or simply eat it on its own?

the speakeasy ice creams

You can indulge in three different Speakeasy ice cream flavours. I’ve used all three in my brand snaps recipe and I love them all.  The first one is the Ramos Gin flavours which uses the multi-award winning Albeforth’s Bathtub Gin. You’ll find aromas such as orange peel, juniper, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom – definitely taking your palate to the next level. Together with the sweetness of the brandy snaps, they are really delicious. I like to add chocolate sprinkles and mint to this combination.

The second flavour you can enjoy is the Spiced Rum, which incorporates Albeforth’s Rumbuillion; another winner as the ‘Best Spiced Rum’ at the World Rum Awards. Its fragrance just proves just how delicate this ice cream really is. You get hints of that traditional Caribbean Rum, creamy Madagascar vanilla, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. What a combination!

The last flavour is the Cherry Brandy, where you can actually taste that the brandy is made with real cherries. You can find delicious spicy notes of dark cherries and almonds – typical characteristics of high quality brandies. With all these exceptionally crafted flavours, we can enjoy a truly unique experience. I made a brandy snap ice cream sandwich with fresh cherries on top. Looks amazing, doesn’t it? It sure was and it’s ideally shared by two people. Perfect for Valentine’s!

Which one would you go for? Honestly, I can’t decide which one is my favourites! Let’s face it- these are luxury ice creams.

brandy snaps

Brandy snaps are generally made out of butter, sugar, golden syrup, flour and ground ginger. Once you combine the ingredients, while following the recipe closely, you’ll end up with a caramel looking batter.  The batter is then transformed into the shape and flavour of your liking. Generally speaking, they are tubular, but you can also find them in flat, circular shapes. Once you have a bite, you’ll be able to recognise them by taste. Here’s a handy tip – make sure you leave adequate spacing between the shapes as the batter will expand as it cooks.

baking

It is most likely that you will need two baking sheets and it’s preferable for you to cook each tray on its own. The time frame for manipulating the snaps into your desired shape is very short. Rather cook them in two batches to give yourself enough time to do a proper job.

Bake until golden. Mine took between eight to ten minutes. Once done, let it cool for 30 seconds to one minutes and then act fast!

shaping the brandy snaps

Shaping the brandy snaps is a really delicate process. It involves patience and precision. Plus, you’ll need to be quick because the snaps only bend while they are hot. Yet, they are flimsy when they’re straight out of the oven. You need to wait for them to solidify first before manipulating them.

To make cigars, use a well-oiled wooden spoon and wrap the snap around the handle. Remember to do this quickly! For baskets, you will need small ramekins or a muffin tray. Oil the bottoms and drape and shape them as you please. The ice cream baskets never go out style.

You should really have fun with this step. It definitely gives the opportunity for some creative serving ideas. For example, keep the brandy snaps in discs so you can make an ice cream stack or an ice cream sandwich. Or, you can also turn them into those classical cigars and fill the inside with a bit of ice cream.

crumbled bits

You shouldn’t be hard on yourself if a couple of your brandy snaps break. It happens to the best of us. Should this happen to you, don’t fret. Broken brandy snaps taste just as delicious and can easily be used as a garnish for ice cream and other dessert. Toss them in some fruit salad for that crunch or crumble them and sprinkle on top of a dessert.

I can also imagine eton mess pairing with the brandy snaps as well as the canarian bienmesabe. I just love how versatile brandy snaps are. You’ll see for yourself. Although, I think that they’ll long disappear before you have any leftovers. That’s a guarantee! 

What shape of brandy snap do you prefer and which Speakeasy ice cream would you pick?

Brandy Snaps

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★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

• Author: Michelle Minnaar
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 brandy snaps 1x

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Description

Brandy snaps may look sophisticated but is easy to preparing by moulding it into different shapes. Here are brandy snap filling ideas for baskets.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 50g (2 oz) butter
• 50g (2 oz) brown sugar
• 50g (2 oz) golden syrup
• 50g (1¾  oz) plain flour, sifted
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) ground ginger
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) lemon juice
• Oil, for greasing

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/355°F/gas mark 4.
2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or preferably use a silicone baking mat.
3. Pour the butter, sugar and syrup in a small non-stick pan and stir on a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Be patient, this takes around 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, then sieve in the flour and ginger. Stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth.
5. Stir in the lemon juice.
6. Drop a teaspoonful of the mixture onto a baking tray at a time, spaced well apart, preferably around 10cm (4in). As they cook in the oven they will spread.
7. It is most likely that you will need two baking sheets and it’s preferable for you to cook each tray on its own because the time frame for manipulating the snaps into your desired shape is very short. Rather cook them in two batches to give yourself enough time.
8. Cook each batch for about 8-10 minutes or older the snaps have spread, are deeply golden and laced.
9. Remove from the oven, let it cool for about 1 minute and then you have to work fast.
10. To make cigars, use a well-oiled wooden spoon and wrap the snap around the handle.
11. For baskets, you will need small ramekins or a muffin tray. Oil the bottoms and drape and shape them as you please.
12. As the brandy snaps cool down, they will harden. They will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days

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Notes

• Have fun when forming the different shapes. Keep them in discs to make an ice cream stack, or form them into classic cigars. Ice cream baskets are always cool and the crumbled bit? Garnish!

• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: British

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 83
• Sugar: 5.2 g
• Sodium: 32 mg
• Fat: 4.6 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 10.6 g
• Cholesterol: 9 mg

Keywords: brandy snaps recipe, brandy snaps baskets, brandy snap filling ideas

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