COOK: Butterscotch Pudding

Troy doesn't have a huge sweet tooth, and there aren't a ton of desserts that he really enjoys. He loves chocolate chip cookies and ice cream.
And butterscotch.
I found this recipe in Cook's Illustrated a few years ago. It takes some time, but is so worth it. The process is pretty different from other puddings I've made, but it really does work!

Best Butterscotch Pudding
12 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/4 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dark rum

Bring butter, sugars, water, corn syrup, lemon juice, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar and melt butter. Once mixture is at a full rolling boil, cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes (or until a candy thermometer registers around 240 degrees). Reduce heat to medium low and gently simmer, stirring frequently, until the caramel is the color of dark peanut butter, about 12-16 minutes longer and the candy thermometer registers 300 degrees.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour 1/4 cup cream into the caramel. Allow the bubbling to subside and whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth, making sure to get into the corners of the pan. Place pan over medium heat and slowly whisk in remaining 3/4 cup cream until smooth. Whisk in 2 cups of milk until the mixture is smooth, making sure to scrape edges and corners to get all the bits of caramel.
Meanwhile, microwave remaining 1/4 cup milk until simmering, about 30-45 seconds. Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch together in a large bowl until smooth. slowly whisk in hot milk until smooth and set aside (don't refrigerate).
Return saucepan to medium high heat and bring mixture to a full rolling boil, whisking frequently. Once the mixture is boiling rapidly, immediately pour into the bowl with the yolk mixture in one smooth motion (don't pour in gradually). Whisk thoroughly for 10-15 seconds; the pudding will thicken after a few seconds. Whisk in vanilla and rum. If making pie, pour into a baked and cooled pie shell. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the pudding. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

COOK: Chicken-Wild Rice Hotdish

I blew my family's mind last night. I served this hotdish and the girls told me it was the best meal I've made all summer, and Troy ate thirds!
I based the recipe off Betty Crocker's Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole, but I had to change a few things around to accommodate what we like in our house and what ingredients I had.

5 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain brown rice
3/4 cup uncooked wild rice
Bring rice to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 45-50 minutes until rice is done and water is absorbed.

4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
Salt, pepper, Wildtree scampi blend
4 cups milk
Melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and seasonings. Cook about a minute until slightly browned. Whisk in the milk gradually and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.

 1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
Combine the white sauce, sour cream, broth, Parmesan and seasonings in a bowl. Mix in the cooked rice and about 4 cups (or 1 pound) cut up cooked chicken. Spoon into a casserole dish and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Makes about 8 servings and a very happy family.

I served this with peas on the side.

For dessert, I peeled, halved, and pitted about 10 peaches. I placed them in a baking dish and poured a melted stick of butter over them. I placed 1/2 tsp brown sugar in each cavity and sprinkled the whole with cinnamon. I baked them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and served them warm with vanilla ice cream.

COOK: Biscuits and Gravy

I made the most amazing biscuits and gravy for supper the other night. I made my usual baking powder biscuits but used a larger cutter so there were 7 large biscuits instead of 14-ish smaller ones. Then I had some ground pork in the freezer from my share of the hog my brother got last fall, so I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com: Breakfast Sausage.
I browned the sausage and spooned the meat into a separate bowl. I sprinkled about 1/3 cup flour over the drippings and cooked for a couple of minutes until the roux was browned. I gradually stirred in 3 cups of milk and whisked until it was thick. I added salt and pepper to the gravy and returned the meat to the pan. I served the hot gravy over hot biscuits, split on the plate.
Yum, yum, yum.