Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding

Yesterday I shared a recipe for Overnight Monkey Bread that I made for my dear hubby's birthday breakfast.  Today I wanted to share his birthday dessert, one of our all-time favorite desserts, Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding.

This pudding is truly magical.  The richness of butter mingles with the warm caramelized flavor of dark brown sugar, and everything is brought to life with a generous splash of bourbon whiskey.  The warm, rich, decadent flavors of this pudding scream fall to me, but I serve this pudding all year 'round, any chance I get.  This is a simple dessert really: a little work at the stove and some chill time and it's done.  Most pudding is pretty humble at heart; however, this pudding will knock your socks off.  I like to serve this in pretty glasses topped with a little Bourbon Whipped Cream and chopped candied pecans or toffee bits.  I find a little crunch on top to contrast with the smooth, silky pudding is exceptional.  With a little work you'll have a truly extraordinary dessert fancy enough to serve to company.

Can I just take a moment to swoon over those fleur de lis glasses?  They're a recent One Kings Lane purchase and I just love them so much I could die.  They were a bit of a splurge and totally unnecessary as we have plenty of glassware, but I just adore them.

But back to the pudding...  If you're a fan of bourbon or butterscotch, you really should make this pudding stat.  If you're not hugely fond of bourbon (you're not from Kentucky, are you?), I'm sure you could reduce the amount in the recipe down to a teaspoon or two, or leave it out all together.  It really does add a lovely flavor and warmth, however, so I highly recommend you try it!  I'm pretty sure there's a good chance you'll become just as addicted as we are to this recipe.  Best pudding ever!

Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding
adapted slightly from A Cozy Kitchen, original recipe by David Lebovitz
yields: 4-6 servings

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons bourbon (I used Wild Turkey American Honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the dark brown sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar is well-moistened.  Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth, then whisk in the eggs.  Gradually pour the remaining milk into the melted brown sugar, whisking constantly, then whisk in the cornstarch mixture as well.

Return the pan to medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently.  Once the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and shimmer for one minute, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens to the consistency of hot fudge.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the bourbon and vanilla.

In two batches, strain the mixture into a blender (cover the lid tightly and put a kitchen towel over the top) and puree for a few seconds.  This step isn't necessary, but it insures you have a perfectly smooth, silky pudding.  Immediately pour the pureed pudding into serving dishes and chill thoroughly, at least four hours, before serving.  If you aren't a fan of pudding skin, be sure to cover each pudding with a piece of plastic wrap before chilling.

Optional: Just before serving, top each pudding with a generous amount of Bourbon Whipped Cream (see below for recipe) and chopped candied pecans, toffee bits, or chocolate shavings.

Bourbon Whipped Cream
makes about 2 cups

1 cup of heavy cream, well chilled
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream, sugar, bourbon and vanilla.  Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form.

Spoon a dollop or neatly pipe a generous amount of whipped cream atop each pudding, then serve immediately (or return to the fridge and serve within a couple of hours).

Overnight Monkey Bread with Cream Cheese Icing Glaze

 

Today is my hubby's 28th birthday.  While we don't usually make a big deal about breakfast in our house (neither of us eat breakfast at all most days), I like to plan a little something special on birthdays and special occasions.  I've been eyeing a Monkey Bread recipe from Jenny Steffens Hobick for a couple of months and was excited to give it a try for breakfast this morning.

I've made and enjoyed Monkey Bread in the past; however, growing up all the versions of Monkey Bread I ever encountered were made from canned biscuits.  They were certainly yummy, but there is a little something off-putting about the taste of most canned biscuits (metallic, bitter) that always bugs me a little bit.  I hadn't even heard of using yeast dough for Monkey Bread until I read Jenny's recipe, but I was utterly intrigued.

The fantastic thing about this recipe is it's so stinkin' easy and convenient.  You use frozen, uncooked yeast rolls for this recipe and all the prep can be done the evening before in about 15 minutes.  The bread is left to thaw and rise on the counter overnight and is perfectly puffed and ready for baking in the morning.  I decided to whip up a little Cream Cheese Icing Glaze (think Cinnabon) to top my bundt cake to make it a little more festive and also to add a little extra sweetness and flavor.  While the Monkey Bread is great on it's own, I think the glaze definitely adds something extra and is worth the effort.

If you do decide to make this Monkey Bread, make sure you give it plenty of time in the oven.  I made the mistake of pulling mine out a little too soon (the outside looked perfect, but the inside was still a little doughy).  Mine was gorgeous and tall right out of the pan but began to shrink a little bit as the undercooked dough flatted.  It was still yummy though, especially the pieces that finished baking.  I'm definitely going to be making this again soon (possibly for a little brunch party I'm hosting later this month) and am glad I found this new version of Monkey Bread to love!

Overnight Monkey Bread
via Jenny Steffens Hobick

24 rolls of frozen uncooked yeast rolls (Rhodes brand)
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 cup of light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray.  Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave.  In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll the frozen rolls in the butter, then in the sugar mixture.  Place the coated rolls neatly in the bundt pan.  Cover loosely with a clean towel or plastic wrap and leave in warm spot overnight to rise (about 8 hours).

The rolls should have doubled in size in the morning.  Bake the rolls on a sheet pan in a 350° oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.  Make sure to cook the monkey bread thoroughly.  The top pieces may appear down before the bottom has completely finished baking.  If needed, cover the top of the bread with foil to prevent burning during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.

Cream Cheese Icing Glaze
adapted from AllRecipes.com

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon whole milk

While the monkey bread is baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Once thoroughly combined, add a tablespoon of milk to reach a drizzling consistency.

Once the monkey bread is finished baking, allow it to cool in the pan for five minutes then invert it onto a serving plate.  Spoon, spread, pipe, or pour the icing glaze over the warm monkey bread, allowing the icing to melt and run down the sides of the bread.  You may not use all of the icing; add as much to your liking to the bread and serve any extra on the side for dipping.

New Items in my Etsy Shop!

Prancing Peacock Necklace

Minted Bracelet

Butterfly Bobby Pins

In the Garden Necklace

In the Garden of Whimsy Necklace

Green with Envy Bracelet

Of Pearls and Bows Cameo Necklace

In the Garden Necklace

Quiet Beauty Necklace {Sold}

It's been a while, but I've started updating my Etsy shop again.  I finally have a setup that I'm happy with, which makes taking photos for my shop much easier and more enjoyable than before.  I'm trying to jump full force into my jewelry business this fall and I hope to have my shop full of items, with consistent new listings at least a couple of times a week, by the beginning of November.

I have a few art/craft shows lined up over the coming months as well, and I'll be sharing those dates on the blog soon for any local folks who might be interested.

It feels good to be back in the swing of things!