This rich and decadent butterscotch pudding is cooked sous vide for a creamy and smooth texture that melts on the mouth. A splash of Irish Whiskey gives it depth. I finish it with a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt and a salted chocolate covered almond. Oh my!
Garnish of your choice. I used salted chocolate almonds from Trader Joes.
Instructions
In a small heavy saucepan put cream, brown sugar and salt. Slice the vanilla bean in half and scoop out the seeds into the cream along with the pod. Heat over medium heat until the cream around the edges of the pan begins to bubble and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a separate larger saucepan bring 1 cup of water and the granulated sugar to a boil. Watch the sugar and water carefully, stirring frequently. The sugar will dissolve, bubble and gradually darken to a golden brown. This will take about 10 minutes. Take care not to burn. Remove from heat.
Remove the vanilla pod from the cream mixture and gradually whisk the cream mixture into the hot sugar mixture, pouring the cream in a fine stream and whisking to incorporate.
Whisk the egg yolks into the cream and sugar mixture one or two at a time, whisking completely after each yolk addition. Add the Irish Whiskey and whisk again.
Pour the mixture into a large measuring cup with a good pouring spout. Pour six ounces of the butterscotch mixture into eight 8-ounce mason jars, leaving about 3/4″ of air space at the top of each jar. Do not fill to the top.
Screw the lids on to the jars using your fingers only, screwing until the jars are finger-tight. Do not overtighten as air needs to escape from the jars during the cooking process.
Fill a large pot or a 12-quart Rubbermaid storage container with room temperature water and secure your sous vide circulator to the pot or container. Place the jars into the room temperature water bath and set the circulator to 176 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water reaches 176 degrees set the timer to one hour.
When the timer goes off, turn off the circulator and remove the jars with tongs (they will be hot). Set the jars on a dry kitchen towel and allow to cool for a few minutes. Store in the fridge for 3 – 4 hours and up to several days before serving.
When you are ready to serve, open the jars and sprinkle a little Maldon sea salt over the top of each pudding. Garnish as you please. Whipped cream, chocolate shavings or a salted chocolate almond all work well.
Notes
Allow approximately 30 minutes for your sous vide bath to come to temperature. Actual time will depend on the type of circulator you use as well as the size pot or container you are using for your water bath.
When you open up the jars to serve the puddings a little condensation may have developed between the pudding and the lid. No problem, just tilt the jars over the sink to drain out any excess moisture. There should not be more than a few drops.