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Butterscotch Pudding Is Shockingly Easy, Sinfully Scrumptious

partysugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:00:25 -0700

Last week I got a text from an old college friend. She would be in town one night only and wondered if I wanted to get together for dinner. Since I'm a huge fan of impromptu soirées, I invited her and two other gals for dinner. With six hours to the dinner party, I frantically began to create a menu with appetizers, entree, and dessert. I wanted a dessert that was rapid, unexpected, and downright delicious. A dessert like Gourmet's fast butterscotch pudding.

From start to finish it takes less than 20 minutes to make. At first I was worried about it not setting quickly enough, but after chilling for three hours, it was thick, rich, and creamy. The girls were pleasantly surprised when I pulled the puddings from the fridge and totally satisfied after eating them.

The pure essence of butterscotch is apparent in each bite, and the pillowy whipped cream is a luscious accompaniment. The only thing I didn't like about this recipe was that it made exactly four portions and I was hungry for more! To delight your friends with this uncomplicated and nostalgic dessert, read more.

Butterscotch Pudding
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Directions

Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt in a heavy medium saucepan, then whisk in milk and cream.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, then boil, whisking, 1 minute.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl, then cover surface with buttered wax paper and chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Heroes Season Premiere - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:00:29 -0700

No dessert says TV dinner more than a dish that features warm fruit and cool ice cream. While a pie or cobbler are delicious selections, wow guests at a season premiere party (or any party for that matter!) with this to-die-for apple cake.

Complete with toffee crust, fresh apple filling, and rich butterscotch sauce, it's luxurious and comforting - sort of like a glam, grown-up sister to apple pie. Although the recipe requires patience and a bit of skill, the finished cake is a worthy reward of the time and work put into it. To look at the steps involved, read more.

Apple Cake with Toffee Crust
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

For cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 large Granny Smith apples-peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For butterscotch sauce
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brandy
For caramelized apples
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 large Granny Smith apples-peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Make the cake: preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tube pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking soda.
In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the granulated sugar. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Fold in the diced apples with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream and brown sugar and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Remove the toffee glaze from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Place the warm cake (still in its pan) on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot glaze over the cake and let it seep into the cake, poking lightly with a toothpick. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
Invert the cake onto a plate, and invert again onto another plate, right side up.
Meanwhile, make the butterscotch sauce: in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook without stirring until a medium-amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and quickly but carefully stir in the cream and butter. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Pour the butterscotch sauce into a pitcher.
Make the caramelized apples: in a large skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar. Add the apples and cinnamon and cook over moderately high heat, turning the apples once or twice, until they are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the water to dissolve the caramel in the skillet, then transfer the caramelized apples to a plate.
Slice the cake and serve with the caramelized apples, butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Serves 10-12.

Make ahead: the unmolded cake can be stored in an airtight container overnight at room temperature. The butterscotch sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; reheat gently before serving. The apples can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

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Definition: Butterscotch

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:00:47 -0700

A friend of mine recently whipped up some delicious butterscotch-chip cookies, and I started thinking about all the ways to enjoy this oft-forgotten flavor, from butterscotch pudding and schnapps to ice-cream sundae toppings and other desserts.

Most of us have tasted it, but what exactly is butterscotch? In the same sweet family as caramel or toffee, butterscotch is a confectionery produced by the heating and cooking of sugar. To make it, you heat brown sugar and butter until it bubbles, then you add heavy cream and vanilla extract. The process is similar to making toffee, but butterscotch is cooked to a lower temperature.

The origin of the word butterscotch is uncertain. According to Wikipedia, "scotch" may indicate that the ingredient comes from Scotland, or it could merely be a nod to the scorching process used to make it.

Source

Yummy Link: Butterscotch Pudding

partysugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:15:44 -0700

Doesn't this butterscotch pudding look to die for? Made with butter, scotch, and grand mariner the recipe looks simply rewarding. I don't know about you but I am going to whip up a batch tonight! - Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Alumnae Bars = Easy Delicious Dessert

partysugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:21:31 -0700

Recently my family and I had a dessert so delicious that my parents started acting funny: my mom insisted we eat the bars before dinner and my dad took an entire plateful for himself! What was the dessert? A simple, yet scrumptious chocolate butterscotch bar. Dubbed Alumnae Bars by my great aunt, these bite-sized treats are easy to make and are delightful crowd pleasers. They are completely portable making them perfect for a potluck, picnic, or bake sale. To take a look at the recipe - it's great for using up the "odds and ends" of chocolate chips - read more.

Alumnae Bars
From PartySugar's Great Aunt Anne Desler

Ingredients

1 stick butter
18 graham crackers
1 bag shredded coconut, optional
1 bag butterscotch morsels
1 bag chocolate chips*
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with aluminum foil.
Melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove.
Meanwhile crush the graham crackers until small but not fine.
Combine the graham crackers and the melted butter and press, covering the bottom, into the prepared baking sheet.
If using the coconut, spread over the top graham crackers evenly. Repeat with the butterscotch morsels and chocolate chips.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top evenly.
Sprinkle the walnuts evenly over the pan.
Press down with a large spoon or spatula compacting the layers together.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes and cut into small bars.
Cover with foil and place in the freezer until ready to serve.

Makes 16-24 bars depending on the size.

*Use your favorite type of morsels: chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, peanut butter, or a combination of several

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Yummy Link: How to Make Butterscotch

YumSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:27:58 -0700

Pastry chef Shuna Lydon - you may know her from Eggbeater - teaches us the steps it takes to create your own butterscotch. - Simply Recipes

Candy Corn: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:00:28 -0700

Even though it's not my favorite holiday, there are several reasons I look forward to Halloween, and one of them is candy corn. I can find only less-than-positive words to describe the waxy, cloyingly sweet, unnaturally butterscotch-y neon-covered morsels, yet once I get started, I can't stop eating them. How do you feel about the seasonal confection?

Source: Flickr User Juushika Redgrave

Butterscotch Pudding

partysugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:51:24 -0700

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How to Taste Fine Whiskey

partysugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:47 -0700

While downing green drinks or beer cocktails is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, sipping a fine, Irish whiskey is a low-key way to mark the occasion. Like wine, there is a special technique to enjoy the potent caramel-colored spirit.

Here's how:

Make sure the whiskey is at room temperature. Pour into a clear glass with a narrow mouth and wide bottom.
Examine the color of the liquid. The darker the whiskey, the longer it has been aged.
Warm the glass with your hands and smell the whiskey's aroma. Note any fruit, spice, or other flavors, like butterscotch.
Before tasting, add a tiny bit of water to dilute the concentrated spirit. You will be able to better taste the whiskey without a harsh burn from the strong alcohol.
Finally, sip the whiskey like you would a wine, and be aware of its body and flavor.

Do you enjoy whiskey? Have you ever been to a whiskey tasting?

Source

Candy-Off: Hershey's vs. Brach's Candy Corn

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:42 -0700

Happy National Candy Corn Day! This Halloween, grocery aisles have been stocked with two distinct types of my favorite seasonal candy: the traditional version made by Brach's, as well as a newer Hershey's rendition.

Last year, when I first tried the Hershey's candy corn, I thought it had a cloying aftertaste, and despite giving them a second chance, I still didn't care for them. Just to make sure I was giving the candy a fair assessment, I sought out some other Sugar gals for a second opinion. To see what they had to say, read more.

"Candy corn is not allowed to have a wrapper!"
"Hershey's tastes more artificial, if that's possible."
"The candy corn lost something in the texture . . . just not right!"

While both are overly sweet, the Hershey's Kisses version lacks the wonderfully waxy, granulated texture that makes candy corn so addictive. Instead, it has the creaminess of white chocolate and a rich, butterscotch-y aroma. Many of us agreed that had Hershey's simply not labeled it candy corn, we would have preferred it.

The bottom line? When something is labeled as candy corn, there are expectations in taste. Candy corn may taste plastic-y, but an artificial rendition of it tastes even worse. There's one attribute, however, that both share in common: too much of either, and you'll be left with a belly ache.