Never did I think I would be such a fan of pudding, but here we are. I’ve never liked the goopy (yes, that’s the formal term) texture of pudding, nor did I like the artificially chocolate-y/vanilla-y flavored cups that would be offered at lunch in grade school.
However, I had a bite of a salted caramel budino at a restaurant per a friend’s recommendation, and that all changed. I knew I had to try to make the recipe for myself, and as my friends have told me, it’s one of their favorite things that I’ve made — so I share it with you, my friends!
A light yet rich base of custard, a dollop of decadent salted caramel, and a sprinkle of flaky salt. You can’t go wrong.
- Budino base
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 large egg yolks
Salted caramel sauce - 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp. corn syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp. flaky sea salt (I love Maldon)
- For a step-by-step video on how to make the caramel sauce, check out the tutorial in my Instagram Highlights
- To make the budino base: melt the butter and brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly until the brown sugar melts down. The mixture will first be granular, then clumpy, then slowly begin to melt into a smooth, deep brown reduction. Once this happens, add the corn starch and whisk to combine until no lumps remain.
- Slowly pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Add the milk. Your brown sugar mixture may harden, but that’s okay. Let the milk mixture warm up, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes.
- Continue to whisk the milk mixture until it comes to a gentle boil.
- Place the egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Begin to whisk the egg yolks and slowly add in a tablespoon of the milk mixture — don’t stop whisking! Continue to add 1 tablespoon of the milk mixture until ~1 cup is added to the egg yolks.
- Add the egg mixture to the pan and continue to whisk gently for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a metal or glass bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, press a piece of plastic wrap on top of the mixture, ensuring it clings to the budino batter.
- Refrigerate until serving.
- To make the salted caramel sauce: follow the instructions highlighted in my Instagram Highlight here. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until it becomes a deep amber color, about 5-7 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream and salt. Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a mason jar (or another heat-proof jar) to cool.
- To assemble the budinos, add 1/4 cup of the batter into a shooter glass or custard dish, and top with 1 tbsp of salted caramel. Sprinkle some flaky salt on top to garnish – best served slightly chilled, right out of the fridge.
And A Chocolate Drizzle 