When I was interning at Grange restaurant the most popular dessert item on the menu was the butterscotch pudding. People just loved it, and the second it came off the menu the demand for its return was so high that we would inevitably put it back on. Maybe it was a dessert you had to grow up with? Maybe it was a generational thing? Who knows? Either way, I didn’t get it. What was so darn great about butterscotch? Eventually, I decided to take one of the puddings off the cart and see what the fuss was about. People, I get it now. This butterscotch pudding perfectly captures that brown sugar - butter combo that’s so nostalgic and intensely satisfying. While the recipe makes four you’ll be hard pressed not to eat them all yourself. Furthermore, the recipe is easy, affordable, and utilizes very common ingredients. It’s one of those delightful little recipes that requires no effort, but makes you a dessert god in the eyes of those you serve it to. Serve with freshly whipped cream and - if you want to go the distance - butterscotch cookies. Add the cream and milk to the sugar mixture. Heat until steamy and tiny, pinprick-sized bubbles begin to show around the side of the pot and the ingredients are combined (about 170°F to 180°F). You do not want it to boil or even simmer as this will cause scalding or curdling of the milk. Remove from heat immediately. Lightly tent the entire pan (not each individual ramekin) with some vented foil. The foil can simply be crimped on two opposite sides, it shouldn’t be airtight. Butterscotch pudding, once removed from Michael Procopio Stove top butterscotch pudding by David Lebovitz
