madbaker | More Scotch Than Butter

This week's Resolution Recipe is from the same cookbook as the previous two: Boozy Butterscotch Pudding.
"The boozy flavor in this pudding is strong, intended to cut the unctuous sweetness of all the dairy. While butterscotch was originally made with, yes, Scotch, we recommend using a clean-tasting whisky. Save the complex stuff for drinking."

3 Tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used 3 cups half-and-half)
3 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla (Ha! I used... more.)
2 oz whiskey or Scotch (I used 1 oz Bushmill's and 1 oz house-brand Lagavulin.)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
whipped cream for serving, if desired

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, brown sugar, and salt. Add the milk and cream, then warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The mixture will begin to deepen in color after about 3 minutes, then turn fragrant soon after. Continue cooking until the pudding begins to bubble and thicken, 10-12 minutes. Test your consistency by coating a spoon with the pudding and drawing a line with your finger through the pudding; if the line remains, the pudding is set. Remove the pot from the heat.

In a small bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla and booze. Slowly stream this mixture into the warm pudding, whisking constantly and vigourously until incorporated. Return to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding is again thick enough to coat the spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Divide among 6 small serving dishes, cover tightly with plastic, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. It will still be quite runny when fully cooked and won't set up until thoroughly chilled. Keeps up to 5 days in the fridge.

What worked: It was very good and satisfying. The texture was good and it was a nice butterscotch. The second time around I let the cream mixture cook for ten minutes even after it thickened, under the theory that it would taste more caramel-y. It tasted a bit darker, if that makes any sense.

What didn't: It started to thicken after only a few minutes on the heat, so I stopped it. This may be why it doesn't taste as caramel-y as I would like - that and some other recipes recommend actually caramelizing the brown sugar before adding the dairy.

(The second time around, I let the brown sugar mixture cook for a few minutes, until it was just starting to liquify. Unfortunately that formed some stuck bits when I added the half-and-half; I had to pour the liquid out and pry the caramel concrete blob off and whisk it in.)

I am not sure using the peaty house-brand Scotch added anything. I might stick to straight Irish whiskey.

Will I make it again? The wife was very happy with it and I liked it, so yes. The curvy upstairs neighbor is also quite fond of butterscotch so I made it the following week for a homeowners' meeting. It was especially good with a bit of chocolate-covered toffee to accent but even better with nothing but a single grind of salt over the top.