Mmm … butterscotch. Be still, my caramel heart. This intense flavor comes not from your grocer’s shelf but from the intensity of Muscovado sugar. Molasses is extracted from sugar cane during the sugar-making process, and when added back into table sugar, this thick syrup produces brown sugar. Muscovado sugar appears before the extraction of the molasses. You’ll also notice that this recipe calls for tempering the eggs, which means you’ll slowly be introducing the hot fats to the eggs so as not to curdle them.
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Ingredients
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup muscovado sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
Pinch sea salt
5 tablespoons turbinado, unbleached or Demerara sugar
4 yolks
Directions
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Test the water level of a roasting pan by placing your ramekins inside and filling the pan with water until it reaches halfway up the sides of each cup. Remove the ramekins and place the roasting pan in the oven, turning it to 300.
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Bring the cream, milk, vanilla, salt and Muscovado sugar to a simmer in a medium pot. Turn the heat off and cover to allow steeping.
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Prepare a caramel by melting half of the Demerara sugar in a saucepot until evenly melted. Add the remaining sugar and melt.
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Pour the cream, slowly, into this melted sugar to create the caramel. Stir over medium heat until the caramel is even.
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In a medium-size bowl, whisk the yolks for a minute, or until a bit lighter in color. Temper the yolks with 1/4 of the cream and whisk. Add the remaining cream and stir.
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Pour into ramekins and place in the water bath.
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Bake until set. Cool to room temperature and chill to set.
