hard sauce

Hard sauce is a creamed mixture made from butter and powdered sugar, often enhanced with cream and flavorings like vanilla or rum. It is also known as brandy butter and is a stiff blend of powdered sugar, butter, brandy, and spice, typically served with mincemeat and Christmas puddings.12

Sauces, in general, are liquid or semi-liquid mixtures added to food during cooking or served alongside it. They enhance flavor, moisture, and textural and color contrast. Many sauces start with a roux, a combination of flour and fat, which is then mixed with a liquid such as milk, cream, or stock. Other sauces are thickened with egg yolks, like mayonnaise or hollandaise, or are simple emulsions of butter and flavorings.2