Sea Salt Caramel Budino Recipes

Steps:

• Mix together brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
• Whisk together egg yolks and milk in a small bowl; gradually whisk into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 6 minutes. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour into another bowl; chill pudding for 20 minutes.
• Divide crushed cookies evenly among 6 half-pint Mason jars or parfait glasses. Layer 1/4 cup pudding, 1 tablespoon caramel sauce, and 1/4 cup additional pudding into each jar. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.
• Beat together cream, white sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract with an electric mixer in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Cover and chill.
• Just before serving, top each jar generously with whipped cream, drizzle with remaining caramel sauce, and sprinkle with sea salt.

Steps:

• For the budino: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the 2 tablespoons cream, the 2 tablespoons milk and the cornstarch.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream, the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk and the kosher salt. Open the vanilla bean and, with the tip of the paring knife, scrape the seeds into the saucepan. Add the pod as well and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
• In another medium saucepan heat the granulated sugar over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the sugar melts and becomes dark brown. Remove the sugar from the heat and slowly stir in the warm cream mixture (be careful, as it will bubble and sputter) until well incorporated.
• Whisk a small ladleful of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture a little at a time. Then slowly mix the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan. Cook, stirring, until a thick custard forms.
• Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large heatproof measuring cup (you will have about 3 3/4 cups) or a bowl. Whisk in the butter until melted.
• While the custard is still warm, divide it among the serving bowls or cups (we use plain juice glasses), filling them no more than three-quarters full. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
• For the salted caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the cream and salt. Open the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cream with the tip of a paring knife. Add the pod to the saucepan as well, and bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat.
• Meanwhile, combine the butter and the sugar in a medium saucepan, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the butter and sugar have melted and are a deep amber color. (The caramel will bubble and look strange as it cooks. Once the sugar melts and the moisture from the butter evaporates, the mixture should become thin and glossy.) Remove the sugar from the heat and carefully add the hot cream; it will bubble and spurt but will settle down. Stir well to combine, then strain though a fine-mesh strainer. The sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated for at least 1 week. Reheat it gently before using.
• To serve: In a medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract and whisk to medium peaks. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the Salted Caramel Sauce over each custard. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of the sea salt.

Steps:

• Make the salted caramel: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the sugar, corn syrup and water to a boil over high heat, swirling (not stirring) to caramelize evenly. When the caramel reaches a dark amber color (about 3 minutes), remove from the heat and carefully add the cream. (The mixture will foam up.) Add the butter, sea salt and vanilla and whisk to combine. Set aside and reserve.
• Make the pudding: In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, water and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture darkens slightly in color. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half until smooth.
• In a large, heatproof mixing bowl, whisk the whole egg with the egg yolks and cornstarch until combined. Whisk in the maple-syrup-brown-sugar mixture in a slow, thin stream. Pour the mixture into the saucepan through a fine-mesh strainer and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a puddinglike texture, about 5 minutes.
• Divide the pudding among four 8-ounce ramekins or small mason jars and top each with a quarter of the reserved caramel. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Sprinkle the top of the puddings with sea salt and a dollop of whipped cream before serving.

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with ice water and set a smaller bowl inside. Set a fine-mesh strainer in the smaller bowl.
• To make the budino, stir the cream and milk together in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, egg, and cornstarch together. Combine the brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Cook the sugar, without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally for even cooking, until the sugar is smoking, nutty smelling, and a very dark caramel color, 10 to 12 minutes. (Don't be alarmed: the sugar will become foamy and lava-like with slow-bursting bubbles.) Reduce the heat to low and immediately add the cream-milk mixture in a thin, steady stream, stirring with a whisk as you add it. This stops the cooking process and prevents the sugar from burning. This will cause the sugar to seize, or harden. Increase the heat to high and cook until the seized sugar has dissolved and the mixture is liquid again, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat. Ladle out 1 cup of the hot cream and sugar mixture and gradually add it to the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the cream mixture from cooking the eggs. Continue adding the cream to the eggs until you have added half of the cream. Gradually add the contents of the bowl to the saucepan with the remaining caramel, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook the custard over medium heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the butter and whiskey.
• Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl set in the ice, and ladle it into the glasses or ramekins, leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top of each budino. Place the budini on a baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours to chill. (The budini can be prepared to this point up to three days in advance.) Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, cover each budino with plastic wrap, and return the budini to the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.
• To serve, if the caramel sauce has cooled, warm it over medium heat until it returns to a loose saucelike consistency and is barely warm but not hot. Remove the budini from the refrigerator and spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce on each budino. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and top each with a big dollop (about 2 tablespoons) of the whipped cream. Place each budino on a small plate, ideally lined with a small napkin or doily, and place two Rosemary Pine Nut Cookies, if you are using them, alongside each glass on the plate.
• Pour the cream into a medium saucepan. Using a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Use the back of the knife to scrape out the pulp and seeds and add the scrapings and the bean to the saucepan with the cream. Heat the cream over high heat until it just begins to boil. Turn off the heat and add the butter, stirring until it melts.
• Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup of water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook without stirring, swirling the pan for even cooking and brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush to remove the sugar crystals until the sugar becomes a medium amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat. Remove the vanilla bean from the cream mixture and discard the bean. Gradually add the cream mixture to the caramel, whisking constantly to thoroughly combine, taking care as the mixture will steam and bubble. Serve the caramel sauce, or set it aside to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one month. Before serving, warm the sauce in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to melt it.
• Pour the whipping cream into a chilled bowl and whip it with a chilled whisk until it thickens to soft peaks. Do not overwhip the cream, as it will become curdled. Add the crème fraîche and gently beat it until the whipped cream is thick and mousselike. (Use the cream or cover the bowl and refrigerate until you're ready to serve it or for up to several hours. Before serving, whip gently to stiffen if it separated.)
• Recioto di Soave (Veneto)