Thankfully, getting your long hair tangled in a whizzing avocado-green KitchenAid mixer when you’re five years old may result in an emergency boyishly-short haircut but won’t necessarily keep you from sticking closely to mom’s side while you learn to create your own kitchen magic in the future. Thus, enters Pumpkin Spiced Butterscotch Pudding Parfaits. Don’t worry, there are no mixers necessary for this gorgeous fallish dessert… well, until you get to the whoop cream (Yes, we make up words for things such as whipped cream in our home).
INGREDIENTS
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- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups cold milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces butterscotch chips
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
- Graham cracker crust recipe below
- Whipped cream recipe below
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or fun sprinkles (for garnish)
Place powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium sauce pan. Whisk these ingredients together to them up to help prevent lumps.
Add milk, vanilla and egg yolks and whisk again until eggs are fully beaten and all the ingredients become one.
Amen. Now it’s safe to turn the burner on to medium heat. Whisk occasionally to help ingredients to keep from sticking on bottom of the pan. When pudding mixture gets hot, add butterscotch chips and butter. Continue to whisk as the pudding comes to a slight boil. Turn off heat and whisk occasionally until butterscotch chips are fully melted.
Whisk in the best pumpkin spice money can buy. Unfortunately, not all spice blends are created equal. I’ve tried some not-so-appealing brands before so it’s important to find the one that fits your liking.
Allow pudding to cool to room temperature and then place a piece of plastic wrap over it so it’s touching the pudding. This will prevent a layer of skin from forming on top while it cools. Place in fridge for a couple of hours.
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
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- 1 package graham crackers (or 9 crackers)
- 6 ounces melted butter
Place graham crackers into a food processor. Process until small & crumbly.
Pour in melted butter and continue to process.
Press mixture into bottom of parfait dishes.
Make homemade whoop cream. Layer with puddingy goodness on top of graham cracker crust. Add a layer of whoop and then another layer of pudding. Finish with whoop and top with chopped pecans or fallish sprinkles.
WHIPPED (WHOOP) CREAM
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- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Pour two cups of heavy whipping cream into a mixer (or if it feels safer, you can use a hand mixer). If you’ve never made whipped cream, you will find it in a milk-type of carton in the dairy section. “Heavy whipping cream” is the very best. And the most sinful. And the most delightful.
Mix on medium to medium-high speed for about 3 minutes watching continuously
You are looking out for what are called “soft peaks.” This is when the whipped cream can stand slightly by itself.
When you reach soft peaks, add about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Taste to make sure it is the sweetness you enjoy from whipped cream & add a little more if desired. Mix just about 30-60 seconds longer to reach stiff peaks. This is when the whipped cream is obviously about to form a peak that stands on it’s own. If you like, stir in a teaspoon of vanilla. Once you’ve had real whipped cream, you can’t go back to the can.
Keep learning. Keep taking risks. Keep splurging once and awhile. Whoop! Whoop!
