not recommended for bathing suit season, but otherwise recommended

To counterbalance an uber-healthy minestrone soup, I made this butterscotch pudding last night, and it was really delicious, if I do say so myself. And for those mystified by what exactly butterscotch is, this recipe clears that right up (butter and brown sugar caramel). I made some adjustments from the original recipe based on what ingredients I had on hand, and it turned out well (and healthier), so here's my modified version:

Butterscotch Pudding

¼ cup heavy cream
1 ¾ cups whole milk
5 oz dark brown sugar (about ¾ cup)
3 T butter
Pinch of salt
2 ½ T cornstarch
1 T sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg
½ t. vanilla extract
Splash of bourbon or whiskey (I didn't add this and the recipe didn't call for it, but I bet it would be really good!!)

Melt butter over low heat and add brown sugar. Cook for about 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the pinch of salt.

While butter/sugar is cooking, warm up the cream and milk together, but don't boil.

Whisk the egg and yolks together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the cornstarch and sugar together and form a little well in the middle (where you will pour in the hot liquid).

Whisk the warm cream/milk into the butter/sugar and heat until hot to the touch, then turn off the burner. Pour a ladle-full of the hot liquid into the well in the cornstarch bowl. Whisk until there are no lumps. Add a bit more liquid and whisk again.

Slowly drizzle a ladle-full of the hot liquid into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs don't cook. Add a bit more liquid to bring the eggs up to a warmer temperature. Now pour the egg mixture into the cornstarch mixture and whisk.

Next, pour the egg/cornstarch mixture into the pot with the rest of the hot liquid, turn the heat back on to medium, and whisk CONSTANTLY until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil (you may need to stop whisking for a second to see if bubbles are rising). Make sure your whisk gets into the edges of the pot so that it doesn't burn. Once it thickens and boils, take off the heat and stir in a splash of vanilla and bourbon. Pour into little cups and refrigerate for a couple of hours (don't be too hasty - it develops a creamier texture if you let it sit a bit).

Take four little cups over to your friends' house for dinner, eat them, and then claim you have to go home to do homework. Come home, get the leftover pudding cups from the fridge and gorge yourself while you watch Lost on DVD. No one ever has to know…