Currant Teacake with Bushmill's Custard Sauce

Currant teacake:
1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground ginger
One 2" cinnamon stick, broken in half
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon allspice berries
2 1/4 cups water
2 cups dried currants
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Bushmills Irish Whiskey
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Custard sauce:
3 cups whole milk
5 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Bushmills Irish Whiskey

1. Make currant cake: Combine all spices in a small, clean coffee grinder. Grind into a fine powder. Place spice mixture into a pan with water, currants, raisins, butter and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Cool to warm and stir in Bushmills Irish Whiskey.
2. Preheat oven to 3508F. Butter and flour an 8" springform pan. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, stir in currant mixture completely. Stir in beaten egg.
3. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean. Cool completely.
4. Make custard sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat milk just until boiling. In a medium bowl, using a whisk, combine yolks and sugar. Pour half of hot milk into yolks and whisk until smooth. Return entire mixture to saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes or until  your finger leaves a path when run across  back of sauce-coated spoon. Do not let  custard sauce come to a boil.
5. Pass sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl or 4-cup liquid measure.
Stir in vanilla and 2 tablespoons of Bushmills Irish Whiskey. Cool completely in refrigerator.
6. Assemble dessert: Cut cake into 3/4" slices. Place a slice of cake in center of a dessert plate. Spoon or pour a bit of sauce around cake and serve immediately.

Next Article:  Dark Chocolate Fondants with Irish Mist Ice Cream

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