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I know there are plenty of food blogs out there. Heck, I know two people that write food blogs, and I'm a pretty avid Slashfood reader. So there is a lot of content out there when it comes to recipes and reviews.
But I gotta share this recipe with you. We made it for dinner on Saturday for our friend JR, who had graciously agreed to babysit for free the rest of the evening so Basil and I could go to a cocktail party. We pulled out some stops (appetizers, filet mignon, etc) and wanted a fancy, delicious dessert to cap it off. This did not disappoint.
It dirties some dishes to be sure, but the only vaguely special equipment you need is a pastry brush and a mesh strainer. Other than a vanilla bean, crème fraîche and fleur de sel, all the ingredients are simple, cheap and easy to obtain. I'm sure vanilla extract and sour cream (and possibly kosher salt) could be substituted in a pinch.
Here is the recipe, posted from Bon Appetit/Epicurious (I tore it out of last September's issue) with my notes in italics. Basil and I decided that this is going to become our default dinner party dessert because most of it can be made a day in advance in addition to it being one of the richest, most indulgent desserts we've ever had.
Enjoy.
Butterscotch Budino with Whipped Crème Fraîche
Budino:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum (I used a smidge more cause I like my dessert a bit boozy)
Toppings:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1-inch piece vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
Fleur de sel
For budino:
Mix cream and milk in large bowl. Whisk egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Stir sugar, 1/2 cup water, and salt in heavy large pot over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring until mixture turns thick, syrupy, and dark amber (don't let it burn!), occasionally swirling pot and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 7 minutes. Immediately whisk in cream mixture (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir to dissolve caramel bits. (I ended up with a big chunk of quasi-hard candy in a sea of vaguely tan milk, but I kept stirring and trying to break up the chunk. It all dissolved in the end. Be patient and don't give up.) Bring mixture to boil, watching closely to prevent mixture from bubbling over, then reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk half of hot caramel mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to pot, whisking to blend. Whisk over medium heat until custard boils and is very thick, about 2 minutes (don't worry about it getting it too thick; you need to be able to push it through a strainer. It will set up more in the fridge). Remove from heat. Add butter and rum; stir until melted and smooth. Strain. Divide custard among ten 6-ounce glasses or cups. Chill uncovered until cold, about 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
For toppings:
Place 1/2 cup cream in small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add butter (swirl or stir until butter melts) and set aside. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring until mixture turns medium amber color, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 6 minutes (again, not too dark). Immediately whisk in cream mixture (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir to dissolve caramel bits (see above about the possibility of big chunks). Set pan in large bowl of ice water to cool. Discard vanilla bean. DO AHEAD: Caramel sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1/4 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form (I added 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to help the peaks). Add crème fraîche and beat until soft peaks form. Place 1 budino on each of 10 plates. Reheat caramel sauce just until warm. Spoon 1 tablespoon caramel sauce over each budino. Spoon dollop of whipped crème fraîche over and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
But I gotta share this recipe with you. We made it for dinner on Saturday for our friend JR, who had graciously agreed to babysit for free the rest of the evening so Basil and I could go to a cocktail party. We pulled out some stops (appetizers, filet mignon, etc) and wanted a fancy, delicious dessert to cap it off. This did not disappoint.
It dirties some dishes to be sure, but the only vaguely special equipment you need is a pastry brush and a mesh strainer. Other than a vanilla bean, crème fraîche and fleur de sel, all the ingredients are simple, cheap and easy to obtain. I'm sure vanilla extract and sour cream (and possibly kosher salt) could be substituted in a pinch.
Here is the recipe, posted from Bon Appetit/Epicurious (I tore it out of last September's issue) with my notes in italics. Basil and I decided that this is going to become our default dinner party dessert because most of it can be made a day in advance in addition to it being one of the richest, most indulgent desserts we've ever had.
Enjoy.
Butterscotch Budino with Whipped Crème Fraîche
Budino:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum (I used a smidge more cause I like my dessert a bit boozy)
Toppings:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1-inch piece vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
Fleur de sel
For budino:
Mix cream and milk in large bowl. Whisk egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Stir sugar, 1/2 cup water, and salt in heavy large pot over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring until mixture turns thick, syrupy, and dark amber (don't let it burn!), occasionally swirling pot and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 7 minutes. Immediately whisk in cream mixture (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir to dissolve caramel bits. (I ended up with a big chunk of quasi-hard candy in a sea of vaguely tan milk, but I kept stirring and trying to break up the chunk. It all dissolved in the end. Be patient and don't give up.) Bring mixture to boil, watching closely to prevent mixture from bubbling over, then reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk half of hot caramel mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to pot, whisking to blend. Whisk over medium heat until custard boils and is very thick, about 2 minutes (don't worry about it getting it too thick; you need to be able to push it through a strainer. It will set up more in the fridge). Remove from heat. Add butter and rum; stir until melted and smooth. Strain. Divide custard among ten 6-ounce glasses or cups. Chill uncovered until cold, about 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
For toppings:
Place 1/2 cup cream in small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add butter (swirl or stir until butter melts) and set aside. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring until mixture turns medium amber color, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 6 minutes (again, not too dark). Immediately whisk in cream mixture (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir to dissolve caramel bits (see above about the possibility of big chunks). Set pan in large bowl of ice water to cool. Discard vanilla bean. DO AHEAD: Caramel sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1/4 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form (I added 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to help the peaks). Add crème fraîche and beat until soft peaks form. Place 1 budino on each of 10 plates. Reheat caramel sauce just until warm. Spoon 1 tablespoon caramel sauce over each budino. Spoon dollop of whipped crème fraîche over and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
posted by merseydotes @ 10:26 PM
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