This is a dessert that only a few restaurants in Los Angeles create. It has been raved over by Irene Virbila of the Los Angeles Times in a review of a popular pizzeria. The pudding is very smooth and creamy like a mousse. This is a fast and simple dessert that anyone will be able to make and enjoy in the comfort of their home.

Pudding

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 2 tablespoons rum
  
  
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup milk
  
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Melt butter over high heat in a saucepan until it turns brown. Add sugar until evenly moistened. Add heavy cream and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add 2 ½ cups milk and rum, and wisk until blended.

Lower to medium heat. Mix together cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup milk. Add to mixture and mix continuously until mixture begins to boil and thicken. Remove from heat. Continuously mix in the vanilla and salt. Scoop warm pudding into dessert glasses. Leave room for caramel and whipped cream. Seal with plastic film and refrigerate.

Salted Caramel

• 1 tablespoons water
• 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt

Over high heat, melt sugar and corn syrup into water. Slowly stir mixture. Allow sugar mixture to caramelize and reach a deep amber color. With caution, slowly pour heavy cream in to mixture while stirring.  When cream is well incorporated with sugar mixture, remove from hear. Add butter and salt. Stir mixture until butter has melted. Transfer to bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble dessert.

Plating your Dessert

When you are ready to eat your dessert, remove the glass containing the butterscotch pudding and uncover the plastic film.  Also remove from the refrigerator the salted caramel and with a table spoon, transfer some caramel onto top of putting.  It is up to you how little or much you desire.  Now you can top the caramel with a dash of sea salt, whipped cream, grated chocolate, or powdered sugar.  You are now ready to eat a wonderful dessert which is perfect for the winter months to come as well as for the holiday season.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.