Butterscotch Pudding with Salted Caramel

Jul 23

Jul 23 Butterscotch Pudding with Salted Caramel

Butterscotch pudding may seem like a humble dessert, but make it from scratch and you’ll understand why this is really a mouthwatering, show-stopping glass of pure decadence. Ultimately, it’s two layers of buttery caramel, one transformed into a custard by adding eggs and cream, and the other into a thick sauce that’s almost like a very soft candy. It’s also a great make-ahead dessert since it can be prepared up to 3 days ahead of time.

The methods for cooking the butterscotch and caramel layers start off very similar, but have distinct and important differences that contribute to flavor and texture, so please make sure you’re referring to the correct section of the recipe as you go.

The pudding can be served in bowls or ramekins, but I like seeing the layers through the glasses as shown. It makes for an impressive presentation that works in both casual and formal settings.

Butterscotch Pudding with Salted Caramel Recipe:

Yield:
4 - 6 servings

Difficulty:
Moderate

Plan ahead:
Both layers need significant cooling time, so I recommend to make at least the butterscotch layer 1 day ahead of time.

Butterscotch Pudding Ingredients:

1½ cups heavy cream
¾ cups whole milk
119 grams (½ cup + 1 TBSP) dark brown sugar
¼ cup water
¾ tsp coarse kosher salt, or 1/4 tsp fine salt
1 large egg, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature
2 ½ TBSP cornstarch
2 ½ TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
¾ tsp bourbon or vanilla extract

Salted Caramel Ingredients:

½ cup (113 grams / 4 ounces) unsalted butter
124 grams (½ cup + 2 TBSP) granulated sugar
½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
½ TBSP vanilla extract
¼ tsp coarse sea salt or ⅛ tsp fine salt, more to taste

Instructions:

Make the butterscotch pudding:

Important: Make sure you have all ingredients ready to go. Things will move quickly once you start heating the sugar.

Combine the cream and milk in bowl or measuring cup with a spout and set near the stovetop to have ready.

Add dark brown sugar, water, and salt to a heavy bottom saucepan and combine over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the mixture melts, then let it cook without stirring (swirl the pan if you notice it cooking unevenly) until it turns a deep golden brown and just starts to smoke. Stand back a bit and immediately add the cream/milk mixture and whisk vigorously. It will seize up, but will smooth out as you continue to whisk. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Remove approximately ½ cup of the caramel from the pot and add to the bowl whisking constantly. Once fully blended, pour the mixture into the pot and bring to a boil whisking the entire time until very thick. 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and bourbon or vanilla. Strain into a large bowl to remove any cooked pieces of egg and divide equally among 6 serving glasses. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until completely chilled. This will take several hours.

Make the salted caramel layer:

Combine butter and sugar in a medium, heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has melted then stop stirring. Let the mixture continue to cook and bubble until dark golden brown.

Tip: If you notice the mixture browning unevenly, gently swirl the pan and return to stove top.

Remove from heat, stand back and add the cream and vanilla. The mixture will steam and bubble. Stir until blended, let the mixture calm down then stir in the salt. Let the mixture cool for a while, it will be very hot. Once it has cooled enough to taste (maybe an hour), add more salt as desired. Let cool at room temperature until lukewarm but still pourable. This will take another hour or two.

Assemble:

Remove plastic from the chilled butterscotch, wiping the edge of the glasses clean if necessary, and pour caramel evenly amongst the glasses. The caramel is very rich, so add as much as you like according to your taste. Sprinkle with a little salt, or add some whipped cream if desired and enjoy.

Leftover caramel will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. It will firm up, but can be softened by heating briefly on the stovetop or microwave on low.