1 Hour 10 Minutes + Cooling + Chilling Serves 8 Easy
Budino is a sweet Italian custard dish – here, it’s flavoured with butterscotch, a kick of whisky and a salted caramel topping. It’s an indulgent dessert, sure to impress your guests.

Ingredients
double cream 700ml
whole milk 350ml
egg yolks 3
egg 1
cornflour 40g
soft dark brown sugar 200g, plus 2 tbsp
unsalted butter 90g
scotch whisky 2 tbsp
CARAMEL SAUCE (TO SERVE)
double cream 700ml
vanilla bean 1
unsalted butter 4 tbsp
caster sugar 200g
golden syrup 60g
WHIPPED CREAM (TO SERVE)
double cream 240ml, very cold
crème fraîche or soured cream 60g, plus 1 tbsp

Method
Fill a large bowl with ice-cold water and set a smaller bowl inside.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over the smaller bowl.
To make the budino, stir together the cream and milk in another bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks and cornflour.
Put the sugar, 1 tsp of fine sea salt and 100ml of water in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a high heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is smoking, nutty smelling and a very dark caramel colour – the sugar will become foamy and lava-like with slow-bursting bubbles.
Reduce the heat to low and immediately add the cream-milk mixture in a thin, steady stream, stirring with a whisk as you do – this stops the cooking process and prevents the sugar from burning, and will cause the sugar to harden.
Increase the heat to high and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the seized sugar has dissolved and the mixture is liquid again.
Turn off the heat.
Ladle out some of the hot mixture and gradually add it to the bowl with the eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking – continue until you have added half of the cream.
Gradually add the contents of the bowl to the pan with the remaining caramel, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook the custard over low heat until it thickly coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and whisky.
Pour the custard through the sieve into the bowl set in the ice, and ladle it into individual glasses or ramekins, leaving at least 2-3cm of space at the top of each budino.
Put the budini on a baking sheet and chill for several hours – they can be prepared to this point up to three days in advance.
Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, cover each budino and return to the fridge until you are ready to serve.
For the caramel sauce, pour the cream into a medium pan. Using a small sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise.
Use the back of the knife to scrape out the pulp and seeds, and add the scrapings and the bean to the cream. Warm over a medium heat until steaming, then turn off the heat and add the butter, stirring until it melts.
Cook the sugar, golden syrup and 60ml of water in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, without stirring, swirling the pan for even cooking and brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush to remove the sugar crystals, until the sugar turns a medium amber colour.
Remove the caramel from the heat.
Add the cream mixture to the caramel, whisking constantly to thoroughly combine, taking care as the mixture will steam and bubble.
Pour the double cream into a chilled bowl and whip it with a chilled whisk until just beginning to thicken.
Add the crème fraîche and gently beat until thick and holding its shape.
If the caramel sauce has cooled, warm it over medium heat until it returns to a sauce-like consistency and is just warm but not hot.
Remove the budini from the refrigerator and spoon 1 tbsp of the sauce on each.
Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt flakes and top with a big dollop of the whipped cream.

A saucy pudding you can make in the microwave?
Halve the ingredients if you’re making for 2.

Less than 15 minutes
Makes 4

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/ cup (125ml) milk
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
2 Tbsp (30ml) golden syrup
1/4 cup (53g) brown sugar
1/3 cup (80g) melted butter and extra for greasing
1 cup (125g) flour, sifted
1 tsp (5ml) baking powder
Pinch salt
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups (375ml) hot water
1 Tbsp (15ml) cornflour
2 Tbsp (30ml) golden syrup
1/2 cup (105g) brown sugar
Pinch salt
Cream or ice cream, for serving (optional)

Method:
Mix egg, milk, vanilla essence, syrup, sugar and butter together.
Set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
Stir in egg mixture until combined.
Grease 4 microwave-safe cups or ramekins.
Divide mixture evenly between cups (but do not fill more than halfway).
Combine sauce ingredients
Divide sauce evenly between cups by pouring over the back of a spoon.
Place cups in the microwave (we used a 1200-watt oven).
Cook on 50% power for about 2 minutes or until the top of puddings are firm to the touch.
Remove from microwave, carefully loosen edges with a knife and turn out onto a serving plate or serve in cups as is.
Serve with cream or ice cream.