Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding Food

BOURBON-BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter begins to brown and smell nutty, about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is starting to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add cream, milk, bourbon, and salt; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
• Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Wipe out saucepan. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until custard bubbles occasionally and starts to thicken, 5-6 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat and transfer mixture to a blender. Blend briefly on low speed until smooth. Place ramekins or bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Divide custard evenly among ramekins and chill until set, at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD: Puddings can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
• Top each pudding with crème fraîche and crushed gingersnaps, if desired.

BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING WITH CANDIED BACON

Steps:

• Melt butter in medium-sized saucepan. Add dark brown sugar and salt, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
• In small bowl, whisk together cornstarch with about 1/4 cup milk until smooth; then whisk in eggs.
• Gradually pour remaining milk into melted brown sugar, whisking constantly; then whisk in cornstarch mixture as well.
• Return pan to heat, and bring mixture to boil, whisking frequently. Once it begins to bubble, reduce heat to low simmer and continue to cook for 1 minute, whisking nonstop, until pudding thickens.
• Remove from heat and stir in bourbon and vanilla.
• Pour into individual dishes and chill thoroughly before serving.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line baking sheet with parchment and place wire rack on top.
• In small saucepot over medium heat, add brown sugar, bourbon and maple syrup. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is thickened.
• Place bacon slices on rack and brush half of glaze on both sides of bacon. Sprinkle with additional brown sugar if desired.
• Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, flip and brush bacon with remaining glaze. Cook until crispy and browned.
• To serve: Top butterscotch puddings with bacon, whipped cream and candied pecans.

OLD-FASHIONED BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

Steps:

• Put egg yolks, cornstarch and salt into a large heatproof bowl, and whisk until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
• In a medium pot over medium heat, combine brown sugar and butter, whisking, until the brown sugar melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to smell like hot caramel and darkens slightly, about 1 minute longer. (Don't walk away, or the mixture may burn.)
• Immediately pour the milk and cream into the pot. (It will bubble fiercely and seize up.) Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the clumps melt, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking yolks until smooth, then whisk in the remaining hot cream mixture. Pour the egg-cream mixture back into the saucepan and place it over medium heat.
• Cook pudding, whisking constantly especially around the bottom and edges of the pot, until it comes to a full boil. (Don't worry about the eggs curdling. You're going to strain the mixture later.) Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring the mixture constantly, until it thickens enough to mound thickly on the spoon, 4 to 7 minutes. If at any point the pudding looks curdled, whisk to help smooth it out.
• Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof container or bowl, then stir in the Scotch or bourbon, if using, and vanilla. To prevent a skin from forming, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding. (If you like the skin, don't cover pudding until it cools.) Chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
• When serving, spoon pudding into dishes. Top with dollops of whipped cream, sour cream or crème fraîche, and any of the optional garnishes.

PECAN, BOURBON, AND BUTTERSCOTCH BREAD PUDDING

Steps:

• For butterscotch sauce:
• Bring brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Boil until mixture is syrupy and measures 1 1/3 cups, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; add cream and bourbon, if desired, and stir until smooth. Let cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool completely, cover, and chill. Rewarm before serving.
• For pudding:
• Toss bread, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons sugar in a large bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar in another large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add cream, poppy seeds, and salt; beat to blend. Place bourbon in a small bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean (reserve bean for another use). Whisk to distribute seeds, then add to egg mixture, whisking to blend well. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture in bowl. Add pecans and toss to coat well. Transfer mixture to a 13x9x2" glass or ceramic baking dish, spreading out in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove plastic wrap and bake until top is browned in spots and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours. Serve bread pudding with butterscotch sauce.

BUTTERSCOTCH-BOURBON FUDGE

Steps:

• Line 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Microwave first 3 ingredients in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Add dry pudding mix; stir with whisk 2 min. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until blended; press onto bottom of prepared pan. Top with nuts; press into fudge to secure.
• Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan before cutting into squares.