Homemade Christmas Brandy Snaps

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Homemade Brandy Snaps

The precise origins of the humble ‘brandy snap’ remain shrouded in culinary mystery. However, a Google dive suggests a fascinating lineage, perhaps tracing back to 14th-century French gaufres (waffles) and wafers. Further research hints that what we now know as brandy snaps (possibly once called ‘jumbles’) were traditionally made and sold at fairs and seasonal markets. The first reference to the modern ‘brandy snap’ appears to surface at Hertfordshire fairs in the early 1900s. 

At first, the ingredients confused me (surely just a basic ginger crunch?), but the technique fascinated me even more. What gives them that unique golden caramelized taste? How on earth are those lace-like holes created? My Mum told me she’d made brandy snaps years ago and that they’re rolled warm around a broom handle. I laughed - surely not! But it turns out she wasn’t joking; that’s exactly how they’re made. No fancy kitchen gadgets required. I’ve noticed how pricey they’ve become over the years for a small box. Given how many we eat over Christmas it seemed worth pulling out the kitchen broom (quite literally), and having a go at making them myself …

I had a couple of attempts, first batching only a few and trying out larger and smaller tests of mixture for each ‘snap’ to figure out the best way to cook and roll them. I also trialed a small batch with less butter and more ginger. Those turned out gingerbread dough-like with few holes (not a recipe keeper, but still tasty).

I learned I liked more ginger, that the butter quantity gives new meaning to the term ‘butter fingers’ but is essential to forming the air bubbles which create the holes, to make each raw-dough snap about the size of the bottom of a coffee cup otherwise they’re too big and collapse easier, and that it is only realistic to cook and work with about 4 at any one time …



Recipe

Ingredients: makes 12-16 depending on size

  • 125gm cubed butter, room temperature

  • 125gm granulated white sugar

  • 1/4 cup golden syrup

  • 125gm plain white flour

  • 1.5 tsp ground ginger

  • Aluminum foil

  • Runny whipping cream (or used canned)

  • Powdered (icing) sugar


Method:

Heat oven to 180c fan.

Cream butter and sugar.

Add golden syrup and whisk into the butter and sugar. Pro tip: warm your measuring utensil in boiling water before measuring in the syrup.

Sift in the flour and ground ginger, mix well.


Pro tip #1: try making just one single brandy snap first to understand the technique. Trust me on this …

On a large, cold, ungreased oven tray, measure out 4 small coffee spoons of mixture, placing well apart to allow them to spread. Using your fingers, press the mixture into a small, thin ‘circle’ about the size of the bottom of a coffee cup. The thinner the better. Don’t worry about being a purist here, they will melt, they will not be insta-perfect.

Bake for approximately 5 minutes until pale golden, keeping an eye on them (see below). Don’t let them become too golden on the edges or they become too hard to roll.






Get your broom out and wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around it.

When pale golden (see above), remove the tray from the oven.

Wait a minute or so, then lift with a fish slice (or the BBQ slice as I used!). If you nudge the edge of one carefully it should lift easily (see clip below). If it ‘squishes’ in on itself, it’s still too hot. If you leave them too long, they go hard and won’t roll.

Pro tip #2: Focus only on the cooked ones before prepping and cooking the next batch.



With your broom handle standing upright and close to the oven tray, work quickly with one at a time, lift off the tray and gently wrap around the broom handle to form a cylinder, then gently slide off. This only takes a few seconds. Don’t ‘tighten’ it to the broom handle else you’ll not be able to slide it off. Gently place on a baking rack. Lift and repeat with the other cooked snaps. They will be malleable for a short period, so if the cylinders ‘collapse’ in the middle as they cool, simply use your fingers to gently squeeze the cylinder to re-form the shape. If the rolled edge comes away, do the same thing. Keep your focus on these ones before starting the next tray.

Before re-using the tray, wipe with a paper towel to soak up the butter.

Can be kept in an airtight container. Once cold and ready to serve, fill each end with thick whipped cream to your taste and sprinkle over powdered sugar. I use runny whipping cream, a little dash of brandy, whisky or vanilla, and around 1/2 tsp powdered sugar to take the sharpness off the cream; whip until thick, then transfer to a used bread bag with a tiny bit of the corner snipped off as a piping bag.

Et voila - perfectly imperfect Christmas deliciousness far easier to make than the seemingly fussy steps suggest.

Bon vivre

Stelle x