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Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

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Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

Puddings are one of the simple pleasures of life and while we often think of them as nursery food or food for the sick, their rich taste and creamy texture seem to nurture us all. Unfortunately there is a trend for making puddings from a box but I encourage you to try making your own as it is really easy. Homemade puddings also taste much better than boxed and have the added advantage of not containing preservatives or other ingredients that we cannot even pronounce. Puddings start with simple ingredients, just things we normally have in our pantries; milk, eggs, dark brown sugar, cornstarch (corn flour), butter, and vanilla extract. What gives this pudding its wonderful butterscotch flavor is the dark brown sugar, and a generous amount of pure vanilla extract also imparts lots of flavor. This recipe comes from Richard Sax's cookbook "Classic Home Desserts" which is full not only of homey desserts but of great advice and history. But what I really like about this book is its list of Historical Sources as it is a great way to get started on collecting some classics.

When you make this butterscotch pudding what you are really doing is making a 'cooked' custard. There is only one real difference between a pudding and a custard and that is cornstarch (corn flour). Cornstarch is added to a cooked pudding so it becomes thick enough to eat with a spoon. The important thing is that they have to be cooked carefully as we do not want lumps or even worse, scorching. So keep the heat fairly low and use a heavy bottomed saucepan, making sure that you stir constantly with a large heatproof rubber spatula. When stirring it is important to reach the bottom, sides and corners of the saucepan to prevent the pudding from sticking and scorching. Once the pudding has become thick, like mayonnaise, remove it from the heat and add the butter and vanilla extract. Then strain the pudding to get rid of any lumps that may have formed. If you like your pudding warm, then by all means eat it right away. But if you like your pudding cold, simply press plastic wrap onto the surface of the puddings and refrigerate until firm (a couple of hours). For those who like a skin (film) on the top of their pudding, let the pudding cool uncovered and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Of course, puddings always seem to taste better when there is a large dollop of cream on the top.

 

In a large stainless steel (heatproof) bowl whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks. Whisk in 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the milk until you have a thick paste. Set aside while you heat the milk. Have ready a fine medium-sized strainer and bowl as you will need to strain the pudding after it is cooked.

First, rinse a medium-sized heavy saucepan with cold water and then shake out the excess water. Doing this step prevents the milk from scorching. Then pour the remaining 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of milk into the saucepan and bring just to a boil. Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Transfer the pudding mixture to a clean large, heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of mayonnaise (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Pour through the strainer to remove any lumps that may have formed during cooking.

Pour into 4 bowls or wine glasses. The pudding can be served warm or if chilling, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the warm puddings to prevent a skin from forming. If you like the skin, simply leave the pudding uncovered until cooled, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The puddings can be made a day or two ahead of serving. Garnish each pudding with a large dollop of softly whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe:

3 cups (720 ml) whole (full fat) milk

3/4 cup (160 grams) dark brown sugar

1/4 cup (30 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoon (28 grams) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Garnish: Lightly sweetened whipped cream

 

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