CAPE BRANDY PUDDING
This favourite Cape classic is one of the best-known traditional recipes. Brandy was first distilled from Cape grapes in 1672 and named "fire water". Today South African brandy is a far cry from the first rough attempts produced by a humble ship's cook.

5 ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
250 g dates, stoned and finely chopped
250 ml boiling water
125 g(1/2cup) butter
500 ml (2 cups) sugar
2 eggs, beaten
500 ml (2 cups) cake flour
5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
2 ml (½ tsp) salt
250 ml (1 cup) finely chopped walnuts or
pecan nuts
15 ml (3 tsp) butter or margarine
150 ml water
125 ml brandy
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
1 ml (¼ tsp) salt

Add bicarbonate of soda to 125 g dates and pour boiling water over. Mix well and leave to cool.
Cream 125 g butter and 250 ml (1 cup) sugar and beat in eggs. Mix well. Sift flour, baking powder and 2 ml (½ tsp) salt over creamed mixture and fold in. Add remaining dates and nuts, mixing well. Stir in date mixture. Mix thoroughly, then turn batter into a large baking dish and bake at 180oC until done, about 40 minutes. Heat remaining butter and sugar and water for 5 minutes. Remove from stove and stir in brandy, vanilla essence and salt. Pour over pudding as soon as it is done. Serve hot or cold with whipped cream.
Serves 6.