Butterscotch Pretzel Pudding

By keenan

Dark brown sugar and stout brewed with coffee intensify this pudding; if you can’t find coffee stout, substitute plain strong coffee. Buttery baked pretzel crumbs provide crunchy texture and salt, two elements favored in desserts these days.

MAKE AHEAD: The pudding can be made 2 days in advance, but fill the glasses no more than a couple of hours before serving so the pretzel crunch on the bottom will not get soggy. Top with pretzel crunch and chopped chocolate-covered beans just before serving.

Ingredients

• For the pudding
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup coffee stout, such as Flying Dog's Wild Dog (may substitute strong, cold coffee)
• 6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dark-chocolate-covered cocoa beans or espresso beans, chopped, for garnish
• For the pretzel crunch
• Pretzel rod pieces (about 3 1/2 ounces), crushed into 1 cup coarse crumbs
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation

Step 1

For the pudding: Whisk together the cornstarch and stout in a small bowl to form a smooth slurry.
Combine the egg yolks, milk and salt in a mixing bowl; stir to mix well. Stir in the cornstarch slurry.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and stir constantly, using a wooden spoon, until the sugar and butter are bubbling and lighten in color, about 3 minutes.

Add the heavy cream to form the butterscotch; stir until the sugar has dissolved. (If there are little bits of undissolved sugar, don’t worry about them.) Remove from heat and gradually pour the butterscotch into the milk mixture, stirring constantly. Transfer to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken and clump into a pudding, about 5 minutes. (Increase the heat as needed if the mixture takes too long to thicken.)
Immediately trade the spoon for a whisk; cook the pudding for about 5 minutes, whisking continuously so it remains smooth, yet thickens and seems ready to bubble. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Strain the pudding into a large bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding (to keep a skin from forming) and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the pudding overnight to set.
For the pretzel crunch: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a 9-inch round cake pan and 8 small wineglasses at hand.

Combine the pretzel crumbs, butter and sugar in a medium bowl so the crumbs are evenly coated. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely, then crumble the baked crust.
To assemble the puddings, place a tablespoon of baked crumb mixture in the bottom of each wineglass. Carefully spoon a half-cup of the chilled, set pudding into each glass, taking care to keep the sides of the glasses neat. Top each portion with another tablespoon of the baked crumb mixture.
Garnish with chopped chocolate-covered cocoa or espresso beans.