5.03.2011

Dulce de Leche Butterscotch Pudding


Mother's Day usually falls near my Mother's birthday....which was on the 16th. We always combined the two when she was still with us, so I always think of Mother's Day and her birthday in the same breath. Have I ever mentioned her name was May? And that she had a sister June? Naming kids after birth months was quite common back then . And then there was a third sister, named Francis. I always got a chuckle out of that. 



For Mother's Day, I was going to make Mother's 7-up pound cake (which nearly everyone has a recipe for anyway) until I remembered her butterscotch pudding. She made a lot of puddings for dessert but I especially loved her butterscotch pudding; unfortunately, she never wrote the recipe down. Often, I asked her to write down measurements as she cooked, but I must have missed this one. I've never tasted anything like it since. Mother also made a divine butterscotch pudding/sauce, which she layered over a baked meringue and topped it with a thin layer of whipped cream. Killer dessert, calorie-wise, but sheer heaven. And this butterscotch was a bit different than her pudding, thinner and more like a sauce, but not quite as thin or sticky as a sauce for ice cream. Which means I always keep my eyes open when I see butterscotch anything recipes, always hoping. I still haven't found any exact matches and neither has my sister. As I recall, that particular meringue dessert was one of my brother's favorites, too. (Of course Mother also made it with lemon curd, which must have been a treat for my lemon-obsessed sister Sharon, but I still dream of the butterscotch.)

Recently, I came across a couple butterscotch pudding recipes I thought I'd combine and try. The result doesn't taste exactly like Mother's, but it's a lovely pudding. (Back to the drawing board for those butterscotch meringues.) Anyway, I mixed recipes from Flour and The Perfect Finish. You probably all have a recipe for butterscotch pudding, but I've never tried one that adds dulce de leche. Which, BTW, I made in a new way. (See bench notes)  

You can't beat the teacup presentation for Mother's Day! 


Dulce de Leche Butterscotch Pudding




Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup sifted cornstarch
2 cups half and half
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons dulce de leche (see bench notes)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
whipped cream for garnish


Method:
In a saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, egg yolks and corn starch. This mixture will be very stiff.
In another saucepan, heat the half and half and milk until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk this mixture slowly into the brown sugar mixture. Whisk in the dulce de leche. Return to the stove and place a candy thermometer in the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. (Between 160º and 170º) Do not allow the mixture to boil or go over 180º or it will curdle. 
Remove from heat and divide among teacups or ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 2 hours.
Serve chilled puddings with whipped cream and dulce de leche.

Bench Note: 

I've made dulce de leche boiled in the can and also stovetop. But this time, I tried David Lebovitz's oven method and thought it the easiest, certainly less hands-on. The recipe follows.

Dulce de Leche 

Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of sea salt.Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate.Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. (Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as necessary).

Once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, whisk until smooth.Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in a warm water bath or microwave oven before using. 

68 comments:

  1. Barbara, what a lovely presentation in the tea cups. Your mother would be proud. I must admit I've never made butterscotch pudding. Perhaps that should change after seeing how delicious yours looks.

    Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day.
    Sam

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  2. wow, I would never think to make pudding! This looks great!

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  3. Beautiful presentation and delicious-sounding recipe. I'm bookmarking it for my next lunch with the ladies.

    I love the photo of your mother.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  4. I do love the happy photo and her top..the teacups too..sweet post~

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  5. These are simply delightful and a perfect way to say Happy Birthday!!

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  6. What a lovely picture of your mother and beautiful memories! Those puddings must be divine! Dulce leche makes everything irresistible.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  7. I love that happy picture of your mother -- she's gorgeous, Barbara! The pudding sounds wonderful too, and your presentation in the tea cups is perfect.

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  8. I think that crochet top is beautiful. Wonder what color it was. Did she make it? This is exactly why I published a family cookbook about 10 years ago. To force my mom and aunts to put onto paper as many of their creations as possible. Good luck in finding that recipe Barbara.

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  9. aaah Barbara! for me this is a perfect yummy and delicious dessert!! Love dulce de leche and the rcipe sound and look amazing,I will publish my recipe for MOM next Saturday, I love the picture too! xxgloria

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  10. What a gorgeous photo of your Mama :) And the puddings sound fantastic. I have yet to make dulce de leche but this methid sound by far the least labour intensive.

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  11. I think there is no better way to remember someone than this. Your puddings look adorable and I am sure your mother would love them too, especially because you made them!

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  12. LOL... May, June and Francis. Poor Francis. Couldn't they have back-tracked and called her April? I had a friend named April in high school, and another friend with a younger sister named Summer.

    Your mother's maiden name is the same as a friend's married name. Don't know where her hubby is from though.

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  13. Oh my stars!!!! HEAVENLY!!!

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  14. I love the presentation of the butterscotch pudding and appreciate the recipe for Dulce de Leche. Your Mother is lovely. There is definitely a family resemblance. You know, sometimes even with my Mother's recipes in hand, they still don't taste the same without her touch. I miss her as I'm sure you miss your Mother.

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  15. What a delicious sweet treat to remember your mother with. THe puddings look so pretty in those cups.
    I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day yourself daaaaahling.
    *kisses* HH

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  16. I love the teacup presentation - so sweet! And, so is your mother in that sweater. I wonder in what month Francis was born? I'll guess one of the latter months of the year :)

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  17. Barbara, this is lovely. I can't think of a better way to honor your mother than preparing a dish that she enjoyed making for her family.

    Happy Mother's Day to her and to you!

    Velva

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  18. Dear Barbara,

    How lucky you are to have those photos with you! I'm here with "no past" I left all those photos in Argentina.
    Your dessert? Extremely fit for my Menu Mlabec...with that "dulce de leche"!

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  19. What lovely presentation Barbara. I love dulce de leche but I have to restrict myself from buying them because I consume them by the jarfuls. This pudding looks fantastic. I'm sure I have a jar somewhere at the back of the pantry...

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  20. This looks divine! I love the presentation in the teacup as well :)

    Hugs xx

    Camille (Paris in Pink)

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  21. Lovely picture of your mom :) LOL @ May and June! Names are so different these days! That butterscotch pudding looks fantastic! I love butterscotch.

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  22. Your desserts look so pretty in the little tea cups! I am going to have to bookmark your blog and come back for some recipes, I think I would make and eat most of them! :)

    Thanks for stopping by my blog via Waystation One. I so appreciate your nice comments!

    Cheers!

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  23. Hi Barbara,

    What a lovely photo of your dear Mother. I share the same birth date, mine is the 16th too and yes, it does always fall near Mothers day.
    I love how you have served the butterscotch pudding in the pretty teacups, lovely idea.

    Happy week
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  24. Your Mom looks like she was very sweet! What a charming dessert! I love the teacups

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  25. Butterscotch is a fav of mine..hope you can duplicate your Mothers recipe some day..but this one looks great!
    Wonderful photo

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  26. I love butterscotch pudding too, but never think to make it. Your beautiful teacups are perfect for it! That's such a sweet picture of your mom! :)

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  27. Beautiful photo of your late mother; I remember my son now who kept asking for a butterscotch cake for his birthday for years when he was younger and I had no idea where to find a recipe or how to make one; butterscotch was a flavor I was not familiar with back then. He would love this dessert! I need to make it for him now!

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  28. Your mother's recipe sounds divine!! But this one sounds great, too - I know I'd love it!

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  29. I adore the old photos you've been sharing of your family, Barbara! :-) Really, they never fail to delight me. Your Mums smile is fabulous and her sweater adorable. :-) I love this pudding. So very much.

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  30. This looks decadant! Love the story as well!

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  31. Thanks for sharing some of your mom with us! Poor Frances was probably born in February or November :)

    I adore butterscotch. This recipe looks delightful.

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  32. Thank you for sharing such a fun photo and bits about your mom. That pudding...oh! it looks delicious. I love rich puddings like that one.

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  33. What a lovely photo of your mother, I have never had butterscotch pudding but it sounds divine! I have thought of you often and I was so happy for your visit.
    xoxo
    Karyn

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  34. I've never made butterscotch pudding and never served dessert in tea cups. I've been missing out! Beautiful.

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  35. What a wonderful and thoughtful post! My mother's signature dessert is her chocolate pudding pie...but I know she would adore this if I made it for her. (And let's be real...I would be in heaven to have a bowl of this set in front of me!)

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  36. I'm a big fan of butterscotch anything, and I'm always on the lookout for a good butterscotch pudding recipe. I've tried a few that weren't quite perfect, so I'm still looking. The dulce de leche sounds amazing with it!

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  37. I've never learned the difference between caramel and butterscotch, but, no matter, I am crazy about both---maybe more so than chocolate. I'll have to try your terrific looking pudding--interesting w/ the dulce de leche..
    I love your teacup presentation and sweet picture of your mom. A nice way to honor her memory.

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  38. Barbara - That is a beautiful picture of your mother! Can you believe that I've never had butterscotch pudding? It looks delicious though and I love the tea cup presentation.

    Happy Mother's Day to you!

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  39. so rich and lovely! such a delicious treat!

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  40. Cor Barbara, those tea cup puds look gorgeous. Fit for a Queen.... should've had those at The Wedding.

    Thanks for visiting my blog, you're very kind.

    You're right, I do LOVE hardware stores..
    xx

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  41. Of course you're talented enough! You could submit a story about a special summer dish and include the recipie!

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  42. Ohh. I love how you served them up in tea cups!

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  43. Your mother had a magnificent smile & looks like a woman that had a great sense of humor? My mother Sharon often would make us butterscotch pudding. I use to get excited when she'd throw a few chocolate chips in it. It makes me sad when I think of some of the recipes mom use to make and I didn't make sure that I had a copy. I hope Barbara you had a good Mother's Day. I think mine will call for some butterscotch pudding!

    Cheers my dear ~ Deb

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  44. so glad I found your blog (and this recipe) just in time for mother's day!!!
    xo,
    Mini Baker

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  45. I love the photo of your mother!
    Treasured recipes are hard to beat, but this pudding really sounds delicious. I'm bookmarking this to try as my husband loves butterscotch.

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  46. It's nice to have recipes that evoke memories of the most special people in our lives. They just takes like love. I would like to get a look at the 7UP cake one day, too!

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  47. How clever to combine these two recipes. Sounds like something your mother would have liked indeed. And happy mother's day to you!

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  48. Barbara thankyou for sharing this recipe and the lovely memories of your mother! :D

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  49. I love readong family stories, that show us just how important cooking is in our mind! Great photo of your mother--I'm sure she'd love your delicious-looking pudding!

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  50. Barbara

    Francis, not April? Well, perhaps the exception defines the rule.

    You're right about the teacup presentation: stunning! I love butterscotch and dulce de leche so the two together does sound like heaven.

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  51. Love the photo (Um..I would wear that sweater AND hat today!) and love that you make something that reminds you of your mom every year. What a great celebration of her life!

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  52. I love that beautiful photo of your Mom! The butterscotch pudding looks so pretty in the teacups - perfect for Mother's Day! I adore all things butterscotch and look forward to trying this recipe. Hope you have a fabulous Mother's Day, Barbara!

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  53. Beautiful dessert, really a decadent treat, that would make any mom happy! What a gorgeous picture of your mom.

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  54. What a nice photo of your mom in her gorgeous top! I love it that she didn't have measurements written down, and that she left you and your sister with some wonderful and unique recipes imprinted in your memories.

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  55. Hello Sweet Friend,
    Me again, just popping over to say hello! I hope you are having a wonderful week!
    xoxo
    Karyn

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  56. lovely post and great pudding love the way you served it in teacups :-)

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  57. Oh gosh, I used to look for recipes that called for sweetened condensed milk so that I could eat some from the can.

    My mother used to make butterscotch pudding too and my oldest daughter and I have always thought it, along with egg custard, to be the ultimate comfort food. This sounds divine... and leaves me enough s.c. milk to put me into sugar shock. Lovely!

    (PS-If you ever come upon the recipe for that yummy sounding sauce and meringue, get back to me!)

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  58. Your puddings look adorable served in tea cups. Happy Mother's Day!

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  59. I LOVE DESSERT. I can eat it for the rest of my life. Any Dulce de Leche related food is one of my favorites and I think this pudding of yours is good. I will definitely try it! XX

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  60. very few people can still crochet like that!
    this pudding is AWESOME, barbara. storebought pudding in a cup isn't even worth mentioning when this is in the vicinity!

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  61. Hullo Barbara,how are u?
    I m so sorry am so late but i did mean to reply to u.
    Well the intense debate commenting system fails to load at times,if at all the network is slow.
    Happens to me too when i sit in the room where we dont really get good reception :-(
    Missed u and ur deliciousness and am happy to be here for ur lovely Mothers day pudding.
    I wish i could grab a tea cup or maybe 2 of this deliciousness and i love love love ur method for making the dulce de leche ,i agree , its the easiest ever.
    And happy mothers day to u too with lods of love dearest Barbara.

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  62. While chocolate and vanilla pudding are nice, butterscotch pudding is on a whole other level. I think the complex flavor of caramel can't be beat.

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  63. Your butterscotch pudding looks absolutely beautiful and sounds delicious! What a nice way to remember your mom :) I DO love her crocheted top!

    Sues

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  64. Dear Barbara, your mom looks incredible. I don't remember if you've mentioned her name but I have a friend name April & a brother in law name June as well. ha.. I'm glad you're sharing one of her fabulous recipe today. THe DDL pudding sounds marvelous indeed. And love how you serving them with. Thanks for sharing. Hope you're having a lovely day.
    Kristy

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  65. It's funny how April, May and June are such pretty names, but somehow February doesn't quite cut it!

    The pudding looks very nice, I love the teacup presentation!

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  66. Beautiful mama and a beautiful pudding!

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  67. What a beautiful photo of your mother!

    I love the color on this pudding! It looks sinfully delicious. And thanks for the oven dulce de leche. This looks easy enough for even me to do.

    Hope you had a fantastic Mother's Day!

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