TWD- Success with Almond Milk Butterscotch Pudding!

I’ll be posting photos later today, but I just wanted to say that I made the recipe exactly as written, except that I substituted Almond Breeze almond milk (original flavor) for the milk in the recipe. Many thanks to Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases for choosing Real Butterscotch Pudding on page 386 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Some of you may remember that I had no luck when I made the arborio rice pudding, but that was not the case this time.  Both Master Chow and I have milk allergies (his is a lot worse than mine), and pudding is one of those desserts that just sends our immune system into over drive.  This is not lactose intolerance, folks, it’s an allergy, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE butterscotch pudding, so I was determined to make this.

Success!  For some reason, cream doesn’t cause the same reaction as straight milk, so I left it in the recipe.  This is a delightfully buttery, creamy, scotchy recipe (I used Chivas Regal 12-year aged whiskey), that will find a permanent spot in my cooking repertoire.  I licked clean every bowl and cooking utensil that I used to make this.  I did not want to wait until I had refrigerated the pudding, I loved it so much.  Try this recipe – it’s fabulous!

A couple of thoughts:  real butterscotch pudding traditionally does not have any booze in it, but Dorie has made me a convert.  My point is, if you don’t want it in the recipe, leave it out.  Second, save yourself a lot of hassle, and if you want to avoid all the pots, pans, food processors, etc., just get yourself a good immersion blender and do the whole thing in a pot and another bowl for tempering.

To see the results of the other bakers, check out the TWD blogroll. Now, excuse me, I have some more pudding to eat. Recipe after the jump . . . .

Creamy Butterscotch Pudding
Adapted from a recipe by Dorie Greenspan in Baking: From My Home to Yours

• 1/2 cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1 3/4 cups almond milk (original flavor)
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons Scotch whiskey (preferably a strong single malt, but use a good whiskey, because you will taste it, although the flavor is not too strong)

1. Have six ramekins or pudding cups, each holding 4 to 6 ounces 1/2 to 3/4 cup), at hand, or use one single 1-qt bowl.
2. Put the brown sugar and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, put the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stirring and lowering the heat if necessary, boil for 2 minutes. Add 1-1/2 cups of the almond milk, and the cream, and bring to a boil.  Don’t worry if the mixture curdles at this point.
3. While the milk is heating, put the cornstarch and the salt in a food processor and whir to blend. Turn them out onto a piece of wax paper.  Put the sugar and egg yolks in the processor and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk and pulse just to mix, then add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend.
4. With the machine running, very slowly pour in the hot liquid, process for a few seconds, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Whisk without stopping over medium heat–making sure to get into the edges of the pan–until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles break the surface and pop (about 2 minutes). You don’t want the pudding to boil, but you do want it to thicken, so lower the heat, if necessary.
5. Scrape the pudding back into the processor (if there’s a scorched spot, avoid it as you scrape) and pulse a couple of times. Add the butter, vanilla and scotch and pulse until everything is evenly blended.
6. Pour the pudding into the ramekins or into the one large bowl. If you don’t want a skin to form (although I don’t understand why you wouldn’t, as it’s the best part!), place a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of each pudding to create an airtight seal. Refrigerate the pudding for at least 4 hours.

Makes 6 servings.