Super Butterscotch Adult Pudding

butterscotch pudding

Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, stir in the dark brown sugar and salt until the sugar is evenly moistened. Remove the pan from the heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 1/4 cup (60ml) of the whole milk together until there are no more clumps of cornstarch. Whisk in the eggs. Pour the remaining 2 1/4 cups of milk into the pan with the brown sugar, whisking constantly to mix it well. Whisk the cornstarch mixture in and set the saucepan over high heat. Whisk the pudding mixture frequently until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer, whisking continuously for a minute. The pudding should have the consistency of hot fudge sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the whiskey (or bourbon as I used) and vanilla extract. David notes that if the pudding has curdled a bit, you can blender it to smooth it out – just take precautions if putting it in a blender because hot liquids more than half full in the vessel can be disastrous and potentially dangerous (explosive comes to mind). He suggests doing it in two smaller batches and draping a towel over the lid of the blender if necessary. Pour the pudding into serving glasses (4-6 standard cups or several small shot glasses) and chill for at least four hours before serving.

milk chocolate pudding

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt together in a medium to large saucepan. Slowly whisk the milk into the saucepan and then whisk the cream in. Set the pan over medium heat and whisk until the contents befing to boil. Continue to boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly, until the pudding becomes thick. Stir in the milk chocolate and let it return to a boil. Whisk the pudding often for 1-2 minutes more until it is thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the pudding cool for a few minutes before spooning into vessels. Chill at least 2 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

whipped cream

Place the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a clean bowl and whip on high until soft peaks form.

Assemble the puddings:

Make the butterscotch pudding FIRST (see above). When the pudding is still warm, pour it into serving glasses or shot glasses about two-thirds full. If you are worried about keeping the sides of the glasses clean, pour it through a funnel. Chill the butterscotch puddings for 2-3 hours or until they are relatively well-set. Make the milk chocolate pudding (see above) when the butterscotch puddings are nearly set. When the milk chocolate pudding has cooled for a few minutes after stirring in the vanilla extract, spoon a little layer on top of each butterscotch pudding (or spoon a lot if that’s what you like). Chill the puddings (uncovered) in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before serving. Right before serving, whip the whipped cream to soft peaks (i.e. don’t overbeat the cream). Spoon or pipe (using a pastry bag) the whipped cream on top of each pudding. Shave or grate milk chocolate on top and serve.