Chai Butterscotch Pudding

The ceviche recipe I posted a few weeks back felt like a great alternate way to use Masala Pop popcorn's Savory Coconut flavor. You know, other than grabbing handfuls out of the bag and stuffing it into my open maw. It's tasty stuff, and pretty different from other flavored popcorns on the market. When we received that sample, we also received two sweet flavors, Caramel Rose and Chai Caramel. The rose is subtle and not overly sweet, sorta kettle-corn-ish, and the chai is a caramel corn with a definite hit of chai spices. I like to create things with food samples, not just hawk them right out, and the first thing I thought of when I tasted the Chai Caramel popcorn, besides a cup of tea, was that it would make either a nice element in a cookie bar crust, or a great topping for a creamy pudding. One infused with the flavors of chai tea.

You can use any chai tea you'd like. I had some David's Tea chocolate chili chai, so I used that to infuse the milk for about half an hour while I walked the dog. (Multitasking!) Once the milk was infused with the chai flavor, I strained out the tea and proceeded to make the butterscotch pudding recipe in this post.

I must say, I was pretty pleased with the result. Depending on the brand of tea you use, the flavor might be a little intense, so you could cut down on the bourbon if you want. Or add more--that's entirely up to you. The popcorn mirrored the flavor of the pudding and added some much-needed texture. I dare say you could also use either of the sweet flavors of the Masala Pop on regular butterscotch pudding, or even vanilla. Possibly even chocolate, if you are so inclined.

Chai Butterscotch Pudding

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon loose chai tea or 2 tea bags
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons bourbon
Sea salt

Put the milk and tea in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and allow tea to steep in the milk for at least 30 minutes. If you used tea leaves, strain the milk before proceeding, otherwise remove and discard the tea bags.

Melt two tablespoons of the butter with the brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in one cup of the steeped milk. Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining cup of milk and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and a big pinch of sea salt. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve, or if you have far more room in your fridge than I do, pour the hot pudding into individual bowls. If you don't like skin on your pudding, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding.

When ready to serve, spoon into bowls and garnish with a handful of popcorn.

Makes 4 servings.

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Craft Beer Pop-Up at ACC Show

Artist: Ping Wu

The American Craft Council show is one of my favorite annual events. I don't know how many years they've been in Baltimore, but I started going back in the mid-90s, when I was working for a retail jeweler. Not only is there a ton of great stuff to purchase (furniture, fashion, glass, pottery, jewelry, more), but it's also a great inspiration for the artists among us.

This year's show will be at the Baltimore Convention Center from February 19th - 21st. On-site admission is $16 for a one-day pass, $36 for all three days. If you buy tickets in advance online at www.craftcouncil.com/baltimore, you save $2 on each.

Artist: Alex & Mona Szabados

If you can't get away from work to attend the show during the day on Friday, pop in after 5 for a sweet $5 admission. Think of it as an artsy Happy Hour. And yes, there will be alcohol! For the first time at the Baltimore show, the ACC will host special craft beer pop-ups on Friday, Feb 19 and Saturday, Feb 20. Attendees can meet with local brewers to learn about the process and taste a selection of microbrews. Presented by Bond Distributing Company, featured breweries include Union Craft, the Brewer's Art, Charm City Meadworks, Monument City, and Flying Dog. Woodberry Pantry will also be on hand to provide samples of their jams and jellies. The Balvenie, maker of Mr Minx's favorite Scotch, will be on-site too, hosting tastings of their handcrafted single malt.






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