The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DEMERARA:
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
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M
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A
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Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DEMERARA: mean?
DEMERARA: noun- A type of natural, unrefined or partially refined cane sugar, which is light brown in colour, particularly used in pastries and biscuits like shortbread.
- A dark rum, made in Guyana using molasses and this sugar, mainly used for blending.