Burnt Sugar Pudding
Pudding is one of Aki’s favorite desserts. Classic American puddings are made with either flour or cornstarch. We substitute tapioca flour in our stirred custards because it gels at a lower temperature and still provides the right texture in the finished dessert. This pudding was inspired by classic butterscotch pudding, which gets its flavor from brown sugar and a hint of vanilla. Burnt sugar is a slight misnomer because although the dark caramel we make here does have a slightly bitter edge, it is not the unpleasantly acrid taste of fully burnt sugar. We recommend that, if possible, you let the pudding rest for several hours or overnight before eating it. This gives the intense caramel flavor time to soften and mellow.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put the egg yolks and tapioca flour in a blender and blend on low speed until they form a light-colored paste.
Step 2
Combine the cream, milk, salt, and vanilla in a saucepan set over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
Step 3
Put the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar becomes a dark reddish brown, just shy of burnt. Remove the sugar from the heat and slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the sugar. This process creates a lot of sputtering and steam and should be done very carefully.
Step 4
Return the mixture to the heat and bring to a boil. Stir to make sure all the caramel is dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and turn the blender containing the egg and tapioca mixture back on low. Quickly and carefully, pour the hot caramel mixture into the blender and increase the speed to medium. The hot mixture will cook the egg yolks and allow the tapioca to thicken to the consistency of thick mayonnaise. With the blender running, add the butter in stages so it is emulsified into the pudding. When all the butter is added, strain the pudding into a serving bowl (or 6 individual bowls) and let it cool to room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator to cool completely.
