Source: San Francisco Chronicle 4/10/02 - Chef George Morrone, Redwood Park Restaurant, San Francisco, California

Secrets of Success:

The chips: Guittard butterscotch chips melt completely and help give the pudding a silky-smooth texture and wonderful taste.

Real scotch: Scotch whisky cuts the sweetness of butterscotch and adds another layer of flavor to the pudding.

Baking method: The pudding is baked in a shallow pan set in a bain marie in a low oven, then it's strained into custard cups and refrigerated until set. This assures the custards will bake evenly, will not curdle and will keep their luxurious texture.

3 1/2 cups cream
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces Guittard butterscotch chips
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon scotch
1 tablespoon cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine the cream, vanilla and salt in a saucepan. Place over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan. Add the butterscotch chips, remove from heat and whisk until the chips have melted and the mixture is combined.

Put the yolks in a mixing bowl and whisk to break them up a bit. Whisk a small amount of the hot butterscotch cream into the yolks, then pour the yolk mixture into the hot butterscotch cream, stirring gently.

Combine the brown sugar, water, scotch and 1 tablespoon cream in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then whisk into hot butterscotch cream.

Pour into a metal cake or brownie pan and cover with foil. Place in a larger pan and pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the custard pan.

Bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until the pudding "giggles" when slightly shaken and does not appear liquid-y.

Strain through a fine sieve and pour directly into custard cups. Refrigerate for several hours, until the pudding is set.

Serves 6.

Per serving: 710 calories, 6 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 65 g fat (41 g saturated), 371 mg cholesterol, 281 mg sodium, 0 fiber