The BEST brandy sauce!

This is really, without a doubt, the best brandy sauce in the world; and if you discount my previous entry where I ruined my first batch, it is incredibly easy to make. It is rich, thick, sweet and very, very alcoholic. From the 2 cups I make each year, 1 cup of that is pure brandy and port. This is now the third year I've made this sauce and I believe it's become a tradition for me now; I plan to do it every year I am able. It really is *that* good - I totally urge you to try it yourself.
The recipe comes from a reader's contribution to a 1997 edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine and was passed onto me by a former work colleague who urged me with the same amount of passion that I HAD to make it for Christmas that year. I did and haven't looked back!

Marjie's Brandy Sauce
(I usually halve the recipe below, as it makes a very large amount)

125 grams of butter
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup port
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup cream

-Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
-Add the egg yolks and beat well.
-Mix in port, brandy and cream.
-Transfer to the top of a double saucepan and cook over simmering water*, stirring constantly, until mixture is the consistency of warm, thin honey. -Cool and store in sealed jars in the refrigerator.
-Serve cold over hot Christmas pudding. This sauce will keep for months in the refirgerator.

*I usually just use a very heavy based saucepan rather than faff around with double saucepans, simmering water etc.