Holly's Butterscotch Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

Holly's Butterscotch Pudding 

with Salted Caramel Sauce

3/4 C sugar

1/4 C water

1/4 C whipping cream

1/2 C packed golden brown sugar

1/3 C cornstarch

1 t salt

3 C whole milk

4 large egg yolks

1/4 C unsalted butter cut into small pieces (room temp)

1 t vanilla

Stir 3/4 C sugar and 1/4 C water in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber color, occasionally brushing down the sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan.  Remove from heat.  Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously).  Stir until smooth.  Set caramel sauce 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 mins.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in caramel sauce.  Whisk egg yolks in large bowl to blend.  Gradually whisk 1 cup warm caramel mixture into yolks.  Gradually whisk yolk mixture back into caramel mixture in saucepan.  Bring to simmer over over medium heat.  Gradually whisk in butter and vanilla.  

Pour into jars with a layer of oreo crumbs at the bottom. Add salted caramel sauce, whip cream and oreo crumbs.

Salted Caramel Sauce

3/4 C plus 2 T heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1/2 C sugar

2 T light corn syrup

4 T (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 “ cubes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Place cream in a small pitcher.  Scrape seeds from vanilla bean: add bean.  Set aside.

Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 2 T water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Increase heat to medium-high; boil, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until deep amber color from, 5-6 mins.  Remove from heat; gradually add vanilla cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk over medium heat until smooth and thick, about 2 mins.  Remove from heat; whisk in butter and salt.  Strain into a heatproof bowl.  Let cool slightly.

*Fruit is a must with this dessert.  It is so rich and sweet, you need a little fruit to break it up.  Peaches are our favorite, but strawberries and blueberries are great too!

**I love a crust with this pudding, but I'm not sure which.  I'm not a huge oreo crust fan, so I experimented with a few and haven't found the winner, so I just made it this time without a crust.

***I made a double batch of the salted caramel sauce and keep it in the fridge.  It's amazing on ANYTHING...ice cream, oatmeal, pancakes, hot chocolate....