Brandy Snaps

Enjoy this recipe for Mary Berry’s Brandy Snaps, courtesy of The Great Holiday Baking Show. It’s the perfect holiday sweet treat!

Watch The Great Holiday Baking Show Mondays in December on ABC.

INGREDIENTS:
Brandy Snaps
Makes 16
4 tbsps. unsalted butter
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup golden syrup
3 Tbsps plus 1½ tsps. All purpose flour
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. lemon juice

Quick Eggnog
¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1 large egg
2 tsps. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp. brandy

Eggnog Cinnamon Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbsps. powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ cup eggnog

INSTRUCTIONS:
Brandy Snaps

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line four baking sheets with parchment paper. Oil a 1-inch-thick handle of a wooden spoon, and set it aside on a cooling rack.
2. Add the butter, sugar, and syrup to a small, heavy bottomed sauce pot.
3. Heat gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved—about 15 minutes over low heat. Be careful not to let the mixture boil, as this may cause crystallization. To check when the sugar has dissolved, stir occasionally, pulling the spoon across the bottom of the pan until you can no longer hear the gritty granules being scraped along and most of them have disappeared.
4. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for 2-3 minutes. Sift in the flour and ginger. Pour in lemon juice, and whisk until smooth. Use a teaspoon to dollop 4 heaping scoops of batter onto each prepared baking tray, giving you 16 total circles. Make sure to leave about 4 inches in between each brandy snap, as they will spread during baking.
5. Bake for about 7 minutes or until the mixture is well spread out, appears lacey, and is a golden brown color. Remove from oven, and allow the brandy snaps to firm up slightly. You need to work quickly to shape the brandy snaps once they are cooled for about 2 minutes. Using an offset spatula or fish spatula, lift the brandy snaps one at a time from the parchment. The mixture needs to be firm enough to remove, but pliable enough to shape. Check by releasing around and under the edges with a small offset spatula.
6. Quickly roll a circle of the warm mixture around the handle of the wooden spoon, having each end join underneath. Press gently to create a tube—it will overlap to create a smooth surface. Slide the brandy snap off the spoon and leave it to firm up on the wire rack, seam side down. Repeat process with remaining brandy snaps. If any of the circles on the sheet harden too much to work with, put them back in the oven for a few seconds to soften again. Bake the trays of brandy snaps one at a time. This will allow you to work quickly with the circles that are ready. If they sit too long, they won’t be easy to work with.
7. Once brandy snaps have cooled completely, about 5 minutes, they are ready to be filled. Fill each brandy snap with the Eggnog Cinnamon Whipped Cream using your star-tipped piping bag. Fill each side of each brandy snap, starting from the center and pulling out towards the end. Be careful not to crack the brandy snaps. Once filled, serve immediately or chill.

Quick Eggnog

1. In a medium bowl, add all ingredients except brandy.
2. Using an immersion blender, blend mixture together for 3-5 minutes until thickened and bubbly. Whisk in brandy. Set aside until ready to use.

Eggnog Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1. Add heavy cream to a large metal bowl. Whisk for 2-3 minutes, until soft peaks begin to form.
2. Add in sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute.
3. Gently whisk in eggnog. Place filling into a piping bag with a large star tip. Chill until ready to use.

Notes:

1. The mixture cools quickly when scooping it onto the prepared baking sheets. Work quickly to get the mixture on the baking sheets. If it hardens, place back over low heat to soften and make pourable again.
2. Mixture makes 16 brandy snaps. (1 heaping tsp. each.)
3. Can also spray 1-inch handle with cooking spray instead of rubbing it with oil.

Hazards to Watch Out for:

1. If the mixture boils on the stove, it causes crystallization of your brandy snap batter. This will lead to a rough brandy snap with potential crispy, hard sugary pockets in your snaps.
2. Once the batter is made, it needs to be spooned onto the prepared baking sheets quickly or else it needs to be reheated to spoon out. To reheat it after the flour is added, you risk cooking it too much or changing the whole batter.
3. Keep a close eye on your brandy snaps! They burn quickly. If the snaps get too dark in the oven, it will create a bitter flavor. They might look a beautiful dark golden brown but make sure they do not get TOO dark. If they do, you will not be able to get rid of that bitter flavor and you should redo the whole bake.
4. To create 16 uniform circles is next to impossible because of the spreading that happens. Definitely try to create the most uniform circles you can, but know they will likely not all be exact.
5. When forming the brandy snaps, be careful not to break them. Once they are set, sliding them off the spoon is challenging as they crack easily being so lacey and delicate.
6. Take care while making the eggnog. If you don’t blend it long enough, it will be too thin and ruin your whipped cream.
7. If the whipped cream filling becomes over-whipped, it can have the consistency of butter. We want a light and airy mixture to complement our light and airy brandy snaps!