Name: Cape Brandy Tart with Brandy Sauce
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup pitted, chopped dates; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine, softened; 1 cup superfine sugar; 1 large egg; 1 1/2 cups flour; Pinch of salt; 3 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped; Brandy sauce; 1 to 2 cups whipped cream, for topping; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 cup brandy (or rum)

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Dinner After Dark: Sexy, Sumptuous Supper Soirées by Colin Cowie. For more about Cowie, click here.

I can't remember a Christmas back at home when we didn't sit around the family table and enjoy my sister Anne's wonderful tart at the end of the meal. It's heartwarming and incredibly convenient: It can be made days in advance and frozen, with no effect on the delicious result. For Christmastime, add 1/2 cup glacéed cherries to the batter; these holiday treats are the red and green cherries, preserved in jars.

Recipe notes

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