Butterscotch Pudding Tartlettes with Salted Cashews

I’ve been on a pudding kick lately. I’m not sure why. But ever since I learned how to make home-made pudding (which is so easy, I can’t believe I grew up on the boxed stuff), I’ve been experimenting with flavours. So far, butterscotch pudding with salted cashews has been my favourite. And to make it look a bit fancier, I put the pudding in sweet tartlette shells. Here’s the recipe for the tartlette shells, adapted from Johnny Iuzzini’s Dessert Fourplay.

Tart Dough

3 cups flour

Pinch of coarse salt

3/4 cup sugar

10 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 egg white

Beat the butter, sugar, and salt together in a stand mixer until pale. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and egg white together, and slowly add to the butter mixture while the beater is on slow. Whisk the flour and baking soda together, then carefully pour into the butter/egg mixture. Mix only until blended. Wrap the dough in plastic, and let chill at least 1 hour.

Mold into tart pans or ring molds. Place parchment paper or foil into the ring molds and fill with beans, rice, or pie weights, and bake at 350 F until just golden, but not any longer, or the tart dough will be too stiff.

Salted Cashews

1 cup cashews

~1 tbsp corn syrup

~1/4 cup coarse salt.

Toss the cashews in the corn syrup (heat the sryup if necessary), and when they are all coated, toss in the salt. In a small pan or cookie sheet, bake at 350 F for approximately 15 minutes, stirring every three minutes.

Butterscotch Pudding

6 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 ounces butterscotch chips

Mix the dry ingredients in a saucepan, but reserve the buterscotch chips. Add the milk and cream and bring to a boil. Let boil for approximately one minute. The mixture will thicken, so whisk constantly. Add butterscotch chips, and return to the boil. Let boil one minute more, then remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into the tartlette shells, cover with plastic wrap so the wrap touches the surface of the pudding, then chill for 2 hours. Top with whipped cream and salted cashews before serving.