On Your Own Head...

The current craze is suddenly sea salt and caramel items. I tried to find out when this burst upon the scene, but couldn't. Just trust me - it's here.

Bon Appetit featured this recipe and it sounded very tempting. Unfortunately, one slice will use up all of your fat, sugar and carbs allowances for the year. You've been warned - it'll be on your head alone if you make one.

CARAMEL BUDINO (Italian for "pudding") With Salted Caramel Sauce

COOKIE CRUST
1 cup finely-ground chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Banisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, about 20 cookies)
2 T sweet butter, melted
1/8 tsp kosher salt (would omit)

Mix cookie crumbs, butter and salt in a medium bowl. Press 2 T into the bottom of eight 8 oz. Mason jars. Set aside.

Budino/Pudding
3 cups whole milk, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup, packed dark brown sugar
5 large egg yolks (have paramedics on stand-by)
3 T sweet butter
2 T dark rum
1 tsp kosher salt (would omit)

Whisk 1/2 cup milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl, and set aside. Heat remaining 2 1/2 cups milk just to a simmer and set aside.
To make the caramel, stir sugar and 3/4 cup water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. At that point, increase the heat and cook without stirring until the candy thermometer registers 210-220 degrees.

Line a sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and set over a large pitcher. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot milk into the cornstarch mixture in a saucepan.
Whisk constantly over medium heat until it thickens and a thermometer registers 175 degrees (will take about 3 minutes.) Take pan off of the stove, whisk in the butter, rum and salt. Pour through prepared sieve.
Pour 1/2 cup budino/pudding over crust in jar. Let set 4 or 5 hours. Keep chilled.

SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
3/4 cup plus 2 T heavy cream (add to number of paramedics on duty at your house)
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar
2 T light corn syrup
4 T sweet butter, (1/2 stick)cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1/4 teas. kosheer salt (would omit)
Lightly sweetened whipped cram

Put the cream in a small pitcher and scrape in the vanilla bean seeds. Set aside
Stir sugar, corn syrup and 2 T water until the sugar dissolves then crank up the heat to medium high, occasionally swirling the pan and brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush. In 5 - 6 minutes, it will turn a dark amber color.
Remove from heat and add the vanilla cream mixture -- it will boil up, be careful!
whisk until it's smooth, take it off the heat and whisk in the butter and salt. Strain into a heat-proof bowl. Let cool slightly

Spoon 2 T of this sauce over the puddings and garnish with whipped cream.

I think this may be the longest recipe I've ever typed and you know what? I now don't give a damn about this "budino"! My appetite (and the paramedics) are gone.