Salted Caramel Budino
Budino is the Italian word for pudding. This version is a spectacular combination of creamy butterscotch pudding and mouth-watering salted caramel with a crisp chocolate crumble surprise on the bottom.
This layered Budino is especially pretty in a clear serving container. It is a rather rich dessert, so a smaller-sized container is best. I have used everything from rocks and martini glasses to screw topped and hinge topped jars. I especially like the 8-ounce Le Parfait hinged top jars which are available in my shop or on Amazon.
The crumbled chocolate wafer cookies (I like the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies) go on the bottom of the glass followed by a layer of the butterscotch pudding and then topped with the salted caramel.
You can get as fancy as you want with the final garnishing on top. Essential elements include freshly-whipped cream, a sprinkle of ground chocolate wafers and a sprinkle of Flaky Sea salt. Maldon is my go-to flaky sea salt and is my favorite finishing salt. Other great additions are a sprig of fresh mint and if you are super-inspired, you can make a fancy poured caramel finale like I did in the blue martini glass above.
TOOL TIP:
This 8-oz Le Parfait canning jar is about the cutest canning jar on the market. In addition to using it in the Budino recipe, I also use it to make Creme Brûlée and Creme Caramel in my Sous Vide.
PRODUCT TIP:
Maldon Sea Salt is my go-to flaky sea salt. It is an amazing finishing salt for everything from Caprese salads to the top of salted caramel desserts. Maldon is famous for its soft pyramid-shaped crunchy flakes that have a fresh intensity. This large 20 oz tub is a great deal on amazon.
Salted Caramel Budino
Course: DessertCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium8
servings15
minutes25
minutesIngredients
1/2 cup crumbled chocolate wafer cookies (Nabisco Famous are my favorite)
- Butterscotch Pudding
1/4 cup pure Maine maple syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean
4 large eggs + 4 large egg yolks
6 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Salted Caramel
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
6 Tablespoons water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons flaked Maldon Sea Salt + extra to garnish
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Crumble the chocolate wafer cookies and sprinkle in the bottom of eight 1/2-cup ramekins, jars or small bowls.
- Butterscotch Pudding
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and cornstarch.
- Place the maple syrup, brown sugar, water and salt in a 2-quart saucepan, set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream and milk.
- Whisk the hot cream mixture into the eggs and pour the combined mixture back in the saucepan through a fine strainer. Place the pot back over medium-heat and whisk for about 5 minutes, until it thickens like pudding.
- Divide the pudding between the 8 ramekins or bowls, covering the chocolate cookie crumble.
- Salted Caramel
- Place the sugar, corn syrup and water in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the caramel until it reaches a dark-amber color.
- Remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the cream. Stir until it is smooth. Add the butter, sea salt and vanilla extract. Set aside and cool slightly.
- Pour the caramel over the pudding in each of the bowls.
- To serve, top each Budino with a dollop of heavy cream, a sprinkle of crumbled chocolate wafers cookies and sprinkle the caramel with the flaky Maldon sea salt.
