Real Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

(from kintyre’s recipe box)

Source: spatulascorkscrews.typepad.com (from RecipeThing user largomason)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons water
  • 1 3/4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons Scotch whiskey (preferably a strong single malt)

Directions

  1. Have six ramekins or pudding cups, each holding 4 to 6 ounces 1/2 to 3/4 cup), at hand.

  2. Put the brown sugar and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, put the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stirring and lowering the heat if necessary, boil for 2 minutes. Add 1 and a 1/2 cups of the milk and the cream and bring to a boil—don’t worry if, as it’s heating, the mixture curdles.

  3. While the milk is heating, put the cornstarch and the salt in a food processor and whir to blend. Turn them out onto a piece of wax paper, put the sugar and egg yolks in the processor and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk and pulse just to mix, then add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend.

  4. With the machine running, very slowly pour in the hot liquid, process for a few seconds, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Whisk without stopping over medium heat—making sure to get into the edges of the pan—until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles burble up to the surface and pop (about 2 minutes). You don’t want the pudding to boil, but you do want it to thicken, so lower the heat, if necessary.

  5. Scrape the pudding back into the processor (if there’s a scorched spot, avoid it as you scrape) and pulse a couple of times. Add the butter, vanilla and scotch and pulse until everything is evenly blended.

  6. Pour the pudding into the ramekins. If you don’t want a skin to form, place a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of each pudding to create an airtight seal. Refrigerate the pudding for at least 4 hours.

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