White Sauce for Christmas Pudding

Mam used to make this. Dad and John both like it, I prefer cream. I couldn't find a recipe for it anywhere the first time I had to make it, but it turns out there's one on the cornflour packet. It's wacky stuff, you can make it thin for pouring or any level up to set-like-plaster-of-paris.

• 2 tbsps cornflour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 0.5 pint milk
• brandy

Put cornflour, sugar and enough milk to make a paste into a saucepan. Heat at low/medium until it starts to bubble. Take off the heat, add the rest of the milk and as much brandy as you like, a bit at a time and whisking as you go. When it's smooth, heat again until thick, whisking constantly. It has a tendency to seize up at any opportunity. Serve hot.

You can use vanilla, or other flavourings, although I would imagine liquid things are best. Dry spices wouldn't come out well, it cooks too fast and there's hardly any fat. If you wanted cinnamon, for example, I'd use cinnamon vodka.