Vanilla and Rum Sauces Make Holiday Desserts Special

My mother's parents were English and many meals she fixed for us reflected this heritage. Christmas dinner was always roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Desert has always been a plum pudding with warm sauce. There are many recipes for plum pudding and all are labor intensive. Mama's plum pudding from scratch several times, but it's so much work has finally bought a Crosse and Blackwell pudding imported from England.

plum pudding was served warm with vanilla sauce or rum. I did not like a rich pudding, so I just ate a spoonful. But I could eat a whole bowl of sauce. Mom has also served apple pie with warm vanilla sauce. The combination of hot sauce and fresh pies from the oven was heavenly. With a few changes in the recipe vanilla sauce sauce becomes rum or rum-raisin sauce.

I have a easy recipe using Splenda Blend for Baking instead of sugar and elminating half cup of butter in the original recipe. However, I added a tablespoon of butter for flavor. Warm vanilla and rum sauce to turn a simple cake - vanilla, apple and spice - the special desserts. Top frozen waffles with vanilla ice cream and sauce and you have one of the best desserts on the planet. Garnish with a twist of orange peel and fresh mint to make your home more festive desserts.

WARM vanilla sauce

CONTENTS

1 / 2 cup Splenda Blend for Baking

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 / 2 teaspoon salt Light

2 cups hot water

1 tablespoon butter (no substitutes)

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

dash of freshly grated nutmeg

method

Combine the Splenda Blend for Baking, cornstarch and salt in small saucepan. Whisk in hot water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat. Add the vanilla extract and nutmeg. Makes 8 servings.

HOT RUM SAUCE

omit vanilla and nutmeg. Make the sauce and remove from heat. Add 2 teaspoons of rum extract.

HOT RUM SAUCE-raisin

omit vanilla and nutmeg. Add 1 / 4 cup raisins into the sauce and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons of rum extract.

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson