Cooks Illustrated Butterscotch Pudding Food

BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the milk and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside. In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, to caramelize the mixture. You'll smell a characteristic nutty-caramel odor when the butter browns, signaling that the mixture is ready.
• Whisking constantly, gradually add the butter/brown sugar mixture to the hot milk/cream mixture. If the mixture isn't smooth, blend for 20 seconds with a hand blender or pour through a fine sieve. Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan. Whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until thick and just boiling. When the mixture thickens, the whisk will leave trail marks on the bottom of the pot and the mixture will have a few large bubbles boiling up to the top. Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into 6 to 8 custard cups, ramekins, or mugs and chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve chilled.

ULTIMATE BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING - COOK'S ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine butter, both sugars, water, corn syrup, lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted. Bring to a full rolling boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes (caramel will be about 240F). Immediately reduce to medium-low, until caramel develops a steady stream of lazy bubbles. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is color of dark peanut butter, smells ever-so-slightly burnt and registers 300F, 12-16 minutes more.
• Remove from heat and carefully add 1/4 c cream (it will bubble and steam), swirling to incorporate. When bubbles subside, whisk vigorously, scraping into corners, until completely smooth, at least 30 seconds. Over medium heat, whisk in remaining cream until smooth. Whisk in 2 c milk until smooth, remembering to scrape into the corners of the pan to collect any remaining caramel.
• In microwave, bring remaining 1/4 c milk to a simmer, 30-45 seconds. Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch together in a large heat-safe bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk until smooth; set aside at room temperature.
• Return saucepan to medium-high heat and bring back to a full rolling boil, whisking frequently. When bubbles begin to climb sides of pan, immediately dump entire pan into bowl with yolk mixture (do not add slowly). Whisk vigorously and thoroughly for 10-15 seconds. Add vanilla and rum and whisk to combine. Spray a disc of parchment paper cut to fit the bowl with non-stick spray and press onto surface of pudding. Refrigerate until cold and set, 3 hours or more. Whisk until smooth before serving.

BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

Steps:

• Put the sugar, cornstarch and kosher salt in a medium, nonstick saucepan, then gently whisk together. Put the milk and egg yolks in a separate pitcher or bowl, then whisk together until combined. Pour the wet mixture into the saucepan with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• Turn on the heat to medium and cook, stirring gently, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, about 10 minutes. When it reaches a pudding consistency, add the butter and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and spoon into bowls. Chill for about 1 hour, until very cold.
• Top each bowl with about a tablespoon of salted caramel sauce, some sea salt flakes and unsweetened whipped cream.

OATMEAL CARAMEL (OR BUTTERSCOTCH) PUDDING COOKIES

Steps:

• Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or line with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted and cooled butter, both sugars, pudding mix and both extracts; stir well to combine.
• Stir in eggs and water; mix well to combine.
• In another bowl, mix together the oatmeal, rolled oats, coconut, flour, baking soda, and salt; mix to combine.
• Mix the dry mixture into the egg/butter mixture; stir well to combine.
• Fold in baking chips and pecans.
• Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove from fridge, and shape into large balls (about 2 tablespoons each).
• Place on prepared baking sheet, and press down the dough slightly.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until JUST set and golden brown around the edges.

KELLY'S BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add enough milk to make thick paste. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a boil. Stir in brown sugar mixture, return to a boil, and cook for 1 minute.
• Place egg yolks in small bowl. Temper the yolks by quickly stirring in about 1/4 of hot milk mixture. Pour yolk mixture back into hot milk mixture, and return to heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted. Pour into bowls, and let cool slightly.

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.

SELF-SAUCING BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

Steps:

• Boil the kettle and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a rectangular baking dish (about 20cm x 28cm and 4cm deep). Tip the flour, baking powder, 140g sugar and a large pinch of salt in a bowl. Put the butter, milk and eggs in a jug and whisk together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. Scrape into the baking dish and level the surface.
• Mix the remaining sugar with the golden syrup and caramel, add 300ml boiling water and stir until the sugar and caramel dissolves. Pour the hot liquid over the pud, then bake for 1 hr until the top is set and the sauce is starting to bubble around the edges. Serve hot with ice cream. If you leave this pudding to sit, the sauce will soak into the sponge, so eat immediately.