Butterscotch Pudding - Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The day started well and it ended well. There were, however, some very low points between sunrise and sunset. I'll start with my morning effort, a milk chocolate cake, that stuck like mortar to the pan. By the time I was able to release it, it was so raggedy that I was embarrassed to share it with you. Then we'll move on to the deluge that greeted an outdoor healthcare rally that Bob and I had promised to attended. It was more successful than the cake but it ran longer than expected and I still did not have a recipe for you or a plan for our dinner. Bob came through for me. At his suggestion we, actually he, made Smoked Sausage Casserole for us and I made butterscotch pudding for you. Both recipes are favorites in our home and they are quick, easy and inexpensive to make. I've shared the casserole with you before, but this is the maiden voyage for the butterscotch pudding recipe. It was developed by David Lebovitz and it's not only simple, it's delicious. If you, or any who sit at your table, are a fan of butterscotch, I urge you to give this a try. It is, in a word, wonderful. Here's the recipe.

Butterscotch Pudding...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of David Lebovitz

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2-1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add dark brown sugar and salt, then stir until sugar is well-moistened. Remove from heat.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of milk until smooth (there should be no visible pills of cornstarch), then whisk in eggs.
3) Gradually pour remaining milk into melted brown sugar, whisking constantly, then whisk in cornstarch mixture as well.
4) Return pan to heat and bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Once it begins to bubble, reduce heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for one minute, whisking non-stop, until pudding thickens to consistency of hot fudge sauce.
5) Remove from heat and stir in whiskey and vanilla.
6) Pour into 4-6 serving glasses or custard cups and chill thoroughly, at least four hours, before serving. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Joy of Baking - Butterscotch Pudding
Food and Wine - Rich and Creamy Butterscotch Pudding
Serious Eats - Butterscotch Pudding

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Sugar Crusted Viennese Nut Bread - Outdoor Wednesday

A footpath leading through the Vienna Woods to the banks of the Danube River.



A romantic bend in the pastoral Salzach River in Salzburg.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely sweet bread was the inspiration for what I had planned to be a walking tour of old Vienna. I just couldn't bring myself to edit the assortment of monuments and landmark buildings I'd collected to share with you. So, the walk, instead, will be a simple stroll through the Vienna Woods and along the banks of the Danube, which coincidentally, may sometimes actually appear to be blue. This nut bread is typical of the barely sweet confections of Austria and Germany. It's simple to prepare and ages well. It has a lovely butterscotch flavor and the crisp sugar crust sets it apart from other breads of this sort. It's a modernized version of Viennese sweet breads leavened, before the advent of baking powder, with sourdough or stiffly beaten eggs. Chemically leavened quick breads originated in America towards the end of the 18th century, when it was discovered that pearlash, a byproduct of woodash, produced carbon dioxide gas in dough. I have no idea why someone would take hearth or kiln ash and put it into food, but I'm guessing it was an accident that caused the pot to boil over when ashes inadvertently fell into it. Baking powder, as we know it today, was not developed until after the American Civil War. Breads made with it are called "quick breads" because baking powder releases carbon dioxide at a faster rate than yeast fermentation. I love the simplicity of this bread. Like all nut breads, it's flavor improves with aging. I love a deep, rich butterscotch flavor, so I use dark brown sugar to make the bread. I've made this with golden brown sugar as well, so I leave the choice of sugar to you. Here's the recipe.

Sugar Crusted Viennese Nut Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons, buuer melted
2 large eggs
2 cups brown sugar
4 cups flour
1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups toasted pecans, chopped
Topping:
1/4 cup ground toasted pecans
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans. Set aside.
2) Place eggs in large bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat until frothy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating at low speed just until blended. Blend in melted butter.
3) In another large bowl, place flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to combine.
4) Add flour mixture, alternately with buttermilk, to egg mixture. Mix just until blended after each addition. Fold in chopped pecans. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
5) To make topping, mix ground pecans, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over each loaf.
6) Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tester inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven. Let sit for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and finish cooking on a rack. Yield: 2 loaves.

Other quick breads can be found at these sites:
Cookie Madness - Carrot Pecan Bread
Recipe Girl - Mom's Banana Nut Bread
Peanut Butter & Julie - Toasted Coconut Macadamia Bread

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer