The Country Cat's Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

• 9 large egg yolks
• 2 cups half-and-half, divided
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup Scotch 
• Whipped cream and cookies, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the yolks and 1 cup of the half-and-half; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, warm the remaining cup of half-and-half, the brown sugar and the heavy cream over medium- low heat until the sugar has dissolved. (Do not let the mixture come to a boil, as it will curdle.) Remove the mixture from heat.
3. Whisk a few spoonfuls of the warm cream into the yolk mixture to temper, then stir the tempered yolks into the cream mixture. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Stir in the vanilla and Scotch, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Remove the bowl of pudding mixture from the fridge. Preheat the oven to 350°.
5. Divide the liquid among six 6-ounce ramekins and place them in a hot-water bath in a deep baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and poke several holes in the foil to let steam escape.
6. Bake the puddings for 45 minutes, then check them for doneness by removing the foil and jiggling them; they should be completely set. If they haven't set completely, replace the foil and bake for 15 minutes longer (and in subsequent 15-minute intervals) until they have set.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil. Let the puddings cool in the water bath. Place them in the refrigerator to chill before serving with a whipped cream and cookies.