Butterscotch Pudding

Let's talk butterscotch. Can anything top it? Sugar, caramel, butter, scotch.........nope. That's just about as good as it gets. Technically, that picture is of butterbourbon, as a bottle of Knob Creek is what is sitting on my counter. We can debate the pros and cons and differences of American bourbon and Scotch scotch, but I find that with that much sugar, and so little alcohol, the difference between butterbourbon and butterscotch is not a big enough difference. Butterwhiskey however, no. Bourbon is as low as I'd go on that ladder.

After a few of the houses I saw today though, I'll take any rung on that whiskey-scotch ladder. I have been house hunting, as my tweeps know, and some of the houses I saw today were in my price range....and lacking roofs. *Sigh* I toured an "artsy" home that had lampshades stuck to the ceiling, paint cans forming pyramids lining the hall, eight bikes in no apparent order, and more broken antique chairs than I knew what to do with (or how to steal and refurbish). It all added up to the perfect set for a psycho killer clown playhouse film. Other houses I saw had similar problems: hallways you can't pass through unless you're under 180 pounds, floor you can't walk on if you're over 150 pounds, and the ever charming smells of moth balls, dampness, and of course, mustiness.  It was an interesting day. I got more brave about houses and dove right into some of them, lucky I didn't fall right into some of them. That was the occasional concern. I took a more observant friend along with me who has an eye for shoddy flooring like the nose on a bloodhound. He's also very good at pointing out slanted rooms, bad electrical wiring, poking at the ceiling to find the water drip, and other such things that tend not to cross my mind as I plan how to decorate the house. Yep, I'm great at that sort of thing. Details? No. I only noticed one of the eight bikes and no, I didn't notice the missing roof either. But hey, those decorating and design options I have down.

Suffice it to say, it was an interesting day. I did find a few gems to look at further, but, at the end of this, I want my cup of butterscotch, and maybe to pour some scotch on my hands as a disinfectant.

Before I head into recipe mode, just a reminder about:

Giveaway: Newman's Own Prize Pack 

• a Cisco Flip Video UltraHD 1hr 4 GB Camcorder - White
• 3 Newman's Own Salad Dressings! 

If you want to enter the little give away: 

• be a twitter follower AND 
• tweet: @cherryteacakes is giving a Flip HD camcorder to one of her tweeps! Follow and retweet to enter! For details visit: http://bit.ly/pqEzey

Rules: 

• Yes, this is a twitter-only contest. 
• You may retweet once a day for additional entries. 
• Contest ends on August 17, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST. 

Now that you've been reminded (and hopefully entered!), time for recipes! Enjoy the butterscotch pudding! 

Cheers! 

Butterscotch Pudding

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons Scotch/Bourbon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, in pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat. Boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color. Brush down sides of pan with wet pastry brush to remove sugar crystals. Occasionally swirl the pan. Remove from heat. 

Add cream, being careful of the rapid bubbling that will occur. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Stir over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and boils, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in caramel sauce.

Whisk egg yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk a bit of the warm caramel pudding into the egg yolks to temper. Gradually whisk yolk mixture back into the pudding. Bring to simmer over medium heat. 

Add in butter, scotch, and vanilla.

Divide pudding among 8 containers. Chill until cold, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
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