Butterscotch Pudding

      My dad came in town last week, and I was whisked into a frenzy of Denver Tourist, a fun musical, long walks and wonderful company. Of course, we also ate our way through a splendor of delicious foods with no holding back (the amount of ice cream and decadent breakfasts consumed are something to be admired). However, the last night was a truly wonderful experience at a swanky downtown Denver restaurant my friends had recommended.

     It ended in a delicious dessert selection and paired wines, and I felt I was in a magical place surrounded by happiness (...ok, maybe I am being a tad dramatic). The point is, it was a phenomenal night I will remember for a long time. Dad ordered a butterscotch pudding dessert, and I, being a devout lover of all thing butterscotch, caramel, dulce de leche, sweet darkened milky goodness, of course insisted on a bite...ok maybe two.

    Then I wanted more, so I figured it was time for pudding. Butterscotch traditionally consists of brown sugar and butter. These form the base of this pudding and then creamy whole milk, bourbon, and vanilla get to play, because why not?

     The result is a creamy, mildly sweet and refreshingly cool dessert that plays gently in your mouth. The brown sugar and bourbon go beautifully together and the vanilla just enhances their game. I dusted the cups with cocoa powder and a few dark chocolate pieces for a bittersweet compliment. I'm sorry (but not really sorry) for introducing you to homemade pudding, but believe me after seeing how easy and scrumptious this is, there will be no more instant mixes in your cabinet.

Adapted from David Lebovoitz's Butterscotch Pudding

4 TBSP (1/2 stick) salted butter
1 C packed brown sugar (dark for a strong flavor and light for a milder)
3/4 TSP fine salt
3 TBSP corn starch
2 1/2 C whole milk
2 large eggs
1 TBSP  bourbon
1 TSP vanilla

1. Add the butter and the brown sugar to a sauce pan over low-medium heat and melt together until combined and all of the brown sugar is wet.
2. Whisk together 1/2 C of milk and the cornstarch until no clumps are visible and all of the starch has dissolved into the milk. Whisk in the eggs.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the other 2 cups of milk to the brown sugar/butter mixture. Next, whisk the cornstarch/milk mixture in as well.
4. Return the pot the heat and bring to a boil, while wishing constantly. Since you are whisking it will be hard to see the "boil" so when you see little bubbles all around the side of the pot, go ahead and turn it down to medium-low heat and continue whisking until it has reached a thickened consistency (looking like hot fudge).
5. Remove from the heat, whisk in the bourbon and vanilla and pour into a large serving dish or divide into small dishes. Cover them with plastic wrap, pressing it against the actual pudding, to prevent film from forming on the top. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to cool before serving. Top with whipped cream, cocoa powder, chocolate shavings or whatever floats your boat.

Love,
   Boulder Butter

Adulthood + A Hot Toddy

Mature, trendy, hip outing shot.

       This morning started off great. I had the day off from work; I woke up early, got out of bed, drank two glasses of water, and headed out the door for an early morning speed walk. Impressive, right? Oh wait, let me tell you why I was speed walking...it was to rush to this local bakery I have been wanting to try that only sells their sweet rolls on the weekends and is notorious for selling out early.

      The adventure got me thinking about feeling grown up though. I would never have done this sort of thing by myself when I was younger. I would have felt silly going to get a treat out without a friend by my side to justify it. Today, a peaceful time sitting in a cafe by the window, pondering my love for pecan sticky buns, sounded perfect. As odd as it might sound, I felt mature for doing what I wanted to do even though it was just me this morning. 

Seriousy. That was my breakfest. All of it. 

      So as I sat there, thinking about all the great adult-like decisions I have made recently, I basked in the responsible nature I developed over the last few months. At that moment, I could only help but to look down and laugh at myself. I had six crumpled, useless napkins in my lap and one that had fallen onto the floor. My fingers were covered in caramel messy goo that I kept licking off. I was slightly peeved when someone sat next to me on the bar stools, because I felt they were interrupting what was almost love making to this sticky bun. Not to mention, my face had a smudge of sticky cinnamon when I went to the bathroom. I frowned when I finished the last bite, both because I didn't want it to be over and my stomach hurt from eating the entire thing. 

This is not all of the napkins though...not even close. 

       The best part was I had the goofiest grin of accomplishment as I sat there eating and contemplating my maturity (until the momentary frown at the end). These are all things 5 year old would do when they make their own order and eat their entire, delicious breakfast. Maybe I am not so grown up after all.  You know what though? I finished my taxes early, I make my bed every day, I cook myself pretty much all of my meals, I pay all my bills on time and I was only 3 months delayed on taking my car in for its check-up! So today, I have accepted not being a complete adult, and not being a complete five year old. I embrace being a somewhat mixture of the two and being so freaking happy about it.

       Young people put so much pressure on themselves in college and post graduation. You must accomplish so much and be so presentable and so responsible and so perfect and so knowledgeable and yada, yada, yada. I'm realizing more and more the best part of life is having some of that yes, but also still being a kid. It is great not being totally grown up so I can freely call my mom crying because my car can't get unparalleled parked on the icy, slanted roads. Growing up is cool; learning to be an adult is I guess kind of cool, but in the end, I am not ready to give up childhood yet. So bring on the sticky buns! And the day I don't need a plethora of napkins covered in messiness and crumpled up, I will call my folks and tell them we can just be friends because I no longer need parents. (Don't worry, Mom and Dad, that will never happen.)

And here is my recipe for my new favorite hot toddy, because I am enough of an adult to have that.

Pick out your favoritist mug, put in a generous squeeze of honey and a peppermint tea bag, or loose peppermint tea in a steeper-thing (we're getting technical on this post). Brew some water, add it to the cup, and steep for 5 minutes. Stir. 
Remove tea bag and add a shot of bourbon. Drizzle with a little more honey if you like honey (I do). 
Sip sweet goodness and enjoy being a sort of adult-child, or wherever you are on that spectrum! 

Thanks for letting me indulge in thoughts today.

Love,
Boulder Butter

Citrus Baked French Toast

        I must let you guys know the most important fact about this before I go any further: it is the most ridiculously simple, sweet breakfast, which yields irresistible results. You can throw it together in minutes the night before, get up on a lazy morning and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Sip on your coffee and relax, then voila yourself and others will beam with happiness. 
      French toast already has a simplicity appeal.  However, this kicks it up a notch to essentially all hands off in the morning with still getting to eat an epic breakfast. Isn't that just so awesome? 

     It was particularly perfect for my purposes of a brunch potluck on Sunday. The night before, my roommate and I went out to a concert that we had been long awaiting. Around 8 o'clock, I took the whole 10 minutes this requires to put it together, placed it lovingly in my fridge, and prepared to dance the night away. 

        After a luxurious sleep-in sesh the next morning, I woke up, took it out of the fridge, preheated the oven, and popped it in. I walked away and got ready for company-you might be able to hear my sigh of relaxation right now. Thirty minutes later, I was meet with puffy topped, golden brown, custardy, warm, blissful French toast and the guests began to arrive. My friend was kind enough to bring a whiskey and cayenne maple syrup that make the custardy texture and bright citrus flavors simply sing with happiness in my mouth. 

      For brunch party folks or those simply wanting a mouth-watering, smell-wafting dish in their house on a lazy Sunday morning, I cannot emphasize enough how much this is for you. A lot of baked French toasts call for much more of everything: more eggs, both milk and cream, more this, more that. I can fully attest it is not necessary for the texture you seek. You only need the basic things you probably already have on hand to create a whimsical weekend morning of French toast, coffee, and appreciation of the finer things in life. 

Ingredients:
1 loaf challah (nothing fancy needed)
3 c whole of 2% milk 
3 eggs
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

Instructions: 
1. The day before, slice the challah in 3/4-1" slices. Lay it out and let it sit on your counter for the day, flipping over when you happen to be in the kitchen (no worries if you're not around though).
2. At night, arrange the slices in a 9x13 baking dish in two layers. Sprinkle half the zest on the first layer, lay down the second, and sprinkle the rest on top. 
3. In a bowl, melt the butter, let it cool for a few minutes. Next, whisk in the milk, eggs, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. 
4. Pour the mixture over the bread, cover, and place in the fridge over night. 
5. The next morning, take the French toast out, uncover and let it sit out while the oven preheats to 350F. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is lightly golden and puffed up. Remove, cool for 5 minutes and serve with butter and maple syrup.  

For the Whiskey Maple Syrup:

Melt 4 TBSP of butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Next add in 2 C pure maple syrup, 1/4 TSP cayenne, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, 1/4 C+ 1 TBSP whiskey, and stir until the ingredients have mixed together evenly. Remove from heat, allow the syrup to cool, and transfer into a glass serving bottle. 

This could be you. 

Love,

Boulder Butter 

Buttered Bourbon Apple Pie

 A Tale of Fall: 
      Last week, my boyfriend and I were sitting on swings at Sloan's Lake, a favorite spot of mine in the Denver area, when he explained what he thought of fall colors. He said it was like the final ball before winter. The trees know the end of their season is coming, so they all adorn their most beautiful attire and nature is in one big celebration. I like that a lot. I am through and through an autumn person when it comes down to it and I particularly love October.

     The excitement of the holidays is on the horizon, but its still low key. I love fall festivals, pumpkins on people's porches, and little kids planning their costumes. I love the first warm soup of the season, getting to wear the new sweater my sister knitted me for graduation, and most particularly, I love the way the world looks.

       So the other day, I decided it was time for a fall photo tour of my neighborhood. I really enjoy getting to walk around and observe nature. Taking it in on a conscious level is a practice in my daily life that brings me peace. However, some days I find trying to see and focus on it in unusual ways is equally important. I like to focus on the individual aspects and colors while working to absorb the uniqueness of nature. In fall, the practice of appreciation of the outdoors becomes extra special for me. So right now, these are some sights I am grateful for.

      I am also grateful for some things back indoors right now too though. One of which is the increased amount of pie I get to justify making (and by making, really I mean eating). Let's all be honest, a buttery, flakey crust surrounding anything makes it taste better. However, it tastes especially better when it surrounds tart, buttery, bourbon cooked apples. This pie guys is a perfect compliment of buttery crust, buttery insides and tart delicious apples. The crust is flakey and golden, not to hard to work with and beautiful. You can see the layers when you look at the pie pieces on top as you pull it out of the oven. Believe me, your eyes and nose will quickly remind you that you just got really hungry. The butter flavor is warm and smile inducing. The filling is tart and oh so perfectly apple happy. The light flavor of bourbon comes through to add a gentle dark caramelized, woody flavor to the apples. The spices enhance the flavors, but are gentle enough again that they really only make the apples shine that much more rather than steal the show. This ladies and gentlemen, is a true buttery apple pie, ready to highlight the season's most beloved fruit. It is time to celebrate with the trees in the final ball by using the bounty they give us in the most delicious way. 

Apple Filling: 
1 double pie crust*
    I made a double batch King Arthur's Favorite Pie Crust. 
    HIGHLY Recommended-so flakey and easy to work with. 
8 small granny smith apples, pealed, cut and thinly sliced (6 large)
4 TBSP all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 TSP nutmeg
1 TSP cinnamon
4 TBSP unsalted butter
1/3 C sugar
2 TBSP heavy cream+1 TBSP (for brushing the crust)
3-4 TBSP bourbon 
1 TSP vanilla extract
1/4 TSP salt

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combined prepared apples, 2 TBSP flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir until all the flour is dissolved. 
--My apples were from a friend who had already prepared them for apple pie and frozen them. Therefore when I defrosted them, they already had a significant amount of moisture to work the flour in. If needed, add one less TBSP of bourbon directly into the pan and add it to the apples first.

2. In a saucepan, melt butter, and then add the sugar. Stir around and let cook for 2-3 minutes until sugar. Then add the heavy cream, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Stir together and let the mixture continue to cook.

3. Once the mixture has translucent bubbles, and has thickened, pour the liquid over apples in the mixing bowl and stir to coat. 

4. Next pour the apple and mixture all back into the pan and add 2 TBSP of flour. Mix together to thicken, and then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer to allow the liquid to reduce. 

5. Once very little liquid is left, the mixture is thickened, pour it all back into the large mixing bowl and allow it to cool completely.
6. When the apple mixture is cooled and your pie crust is made and rested, you are ready to bake. Preheat the oven to 400F and place the rack on a middle shelf.

7. Roll out the base dough of the crust and invert it into a greased pie dish. Place the filled pan in the fridge and get out the second half of dough. 
8. Roll out the second half in the same fashion, then using a cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as you can from the dough.

9. Working quickly, remove the base from the fridge and fill it with the cooled apple mixture.  

10. Lay the dough cut outs around the edge of the pie and work in circles moving inward until the top is covered. It is good to have small gaps as these allow the steam to vent through the crust. 
11. Brush the crush with a light coating of heavy cream. 
12.  Place the pie into the oven and cook at 400F for 20 minutes. When that is done, do not open the oven, simply lower the temperature to 375 F and continue baking for 55-65 minutes, until the top has lightly browned and the insides are bubbling up between the cracks. 

13. Remove from the oven, allowing the pie to cool for 3 hours. This will give the filling time to finish setting and ensure the inside does not run when you cut into the pie. 

14. Reheat if desired, top with whipped cream or ice cream, and dig in to the flaky, apple filled, butter-laden goodness you have created!