I shamelessly made this at midnight after a long shift at the studio — as written, except no fresh thyme. The lemon substitution made for a decent sauce, but without the brandy (or even sherry) it never hit the peppery notes I expected. Fine for a weeknight, not memorable.
You can use a garlic press to do the pepper cracking. Start with a single layer half covering the base of the press, then close it once or twice. Lift the peppercorns out with a pointed knife. Repeat as many times as you need.
Made this last night with lime instead of lemon, and had to sub crème fraîche for the cream. Still worked beautifully.