Butterscotch Pudding

About the recipe

Butterscotch pudding takes a little skill to master, but your dedication will be rewarded with a pudding that puts all store-bought versions to shame. Make sure to have all of the ingredients measured and ready before starting the caramel because once the caramel begins to darken, it can very quickly go from dark and complex to burned and ruined. Straining the pudding will remove any lumps of cooked egg, giving you an ultra-smooth pudding result.

Serves: 8

Hands On Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 4 hours and 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk

5 tablespoons cornstarch

1 large egg plus 3 large egg yolks

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

2 tablespoons bourbon

Fresh whipped cream, for serving

Freshly grated nutmeg, for serving

Instructions

Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together the sugar, water and salt over medium-high heat. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the sugar thickens and turns a deep caramel color but is not burnt, 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully whisk in the cream and milk and continue to cook until the mixture is smooth (it will seize up at first; this is okay), 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep warm.

In a second large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, egg and egg yolks. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the caramel into the egg mixture. Once all of the caramel has been whisked in, return the mixture to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, continuing to whisk constantly to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and bourbon. Pour the custard mixture through the prepared strainer and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours. Serve cold, topped with whipped cream and nutmeg.