One of the things that has developed over the past couple of years being stuck in the house without visits from friends and family is cooking fun over Zoom. Whether it’s an actual class or just picking fun recipes and doing them remotely “together”, it’s a fun way to connect with fellow food lovers. Today, I got the crazy idea to make pudding, and my oldest friend, Cayenne, was incredulous at first, but signed on to try her hand at caramel with me - because, who doesn’t like pudding?
I have to say, I've never made caramel in the microwave, but since my attempts at caramel have ended with tears, it was worth a try!
Ingredients:
Pudding
4 large egg yolks
¼ c. cornstarch
1 c. whole milk
3 c. heavy cream
¾ c. packed dark brown sugar
Scant ½ tsp salt
½ c. water
3 TB butter
1 ½ TB scotch, rum, or bourbon [I used scotch]
Caramel Sauce
½ c. granulated sugar
1 TB light corn syrup
1 TB water
⅛ tsp lemon juice
⅓ c. heavy cream
½ TB butter
Generous pinch of salt
Make the pudding: In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, cornstarch, and ¼ cup of the whole milk. Whisk until smooth.
In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the heavy cream and the remaining ¾ cup milk.
In a 3 QT heavy bottomed saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, salt, and water; set the pot over high heat. As soon as the mixture starts to boil vigorously around the edges, reduce the heat to medium and cook, without stirring, until darker brown, thickened, foamy, and just starting to smell caramelized (a tiny bit burnt), 9-11 minutes. The sugar will bubble vigorously the whole time. If you have a candy thermometer, the butterscotch is ready when it registers 265F.
Immediately, but SLOWLY, pour the reserved milk/cream mixture into the sugar. The mixture will violently bubble and steam and the butterscotch will harden. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally, and scraping the edge and bottom of the pot to dissolve the hardened butterscotch, then reduce heat to low. Slowly whisk 3 ladlefuls of the hot butterscotch mixture into the egg mix, whisking constantly and rigorously. [This will “temper” the eggs so they don’t scramble in the next step]
Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture into the butterscotch mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, continuing to whisk, until large bubbles burst through the top, and the mixture thickens, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and mix in the butter and scotch.
Pour the pudding through a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl, using the back of a spoon to push through. [I did not do this…I didn’t have eggy lumps] Pour into a large shallow bowl [or, like me, into small cups] and put plastic wrap down against the surface. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 6 hours or overnight [I didn’t wait this long…smaller cups meant 2 hours was fine].
Make the caramel sauce: Stir the granulated sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice together in a microwave safe 2 cup measuring cup or medium glass bowl. The mixture will be very thick. Microwave until the mixture is pale yellow, or just barely starting to take on some color, 2-3 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave [Mine must be weeny power - I added another 45 secs after 3 minutes]. You can stop and check often; just don’t let the caramel get too dark or it will burn. Let the caramel sit on the counter for 1-2 minutes and it will get a bit darker - you want it to be a “medium honey color”.
Once the caramel reaches the correct color, slowly pour in the cream, 1 TB at a time, stirring with a soup spoon as you go. The mixture will bubble up intensely, but shouldn’t overflow as long as you go slowly. Once all the cream is added, stir until completely smooth, scraping the bottom/sides of the bowl, as necessary. Add the butter and salt and stir until the butter is melted. The sauce will seem thin, but will thicken as it cools. It will keep in the fridge covered for up to a week.
Serve the pudding with a drizzle of caramel sauce, some whipped cream [if you have it], and some flakey sea salt.
This pudding is not your mama's pudding from a box. It is complex and rich, and the sauce tastes like Werther's Original in the best way. Although I messed up the caramel the first time [see below], this was the easiest caramel sauce I've ever made. I forgot the salt on top, but that just shows how excited I was to get my spoon in there! I would serve this for company, or just when we crave a little stepped up comfort food.
Rating: Excellent
Don't be like me - pull the caramel early and you can always add time if needed:
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