Chef Devin's Butterscotch Pot de Crème

Ingredients

• 4 ½ Tbs. unsalted butter
• ¾ cup plus 2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
• 2 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. milk
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 6 yolks
• 1 ½ Tbs. Scotch whiskey
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Preparation

Heat the butter in a small pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Add the brown sugar and cook, stirring, until melted and glossy. Slowly stir in heavy cream and begin whisking until smooth. (Beware the butterscotch mixture will initially seize up when the cream is added, but it will melt again.) Add milk and salt and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk yolks until frothy. Gradually add about ¼ cup of hot butterscotch mixture to yolks and stir to combine. (This will temper yolks and prevent them from cooking.) Now add tempered yolks to creamy mixture and whisk to combine. Remove from the heat. Add Scotch, stir to combine, and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Place this bowl in an ice water bath and let rest until completely chilled. (Alternatively, you can whisk the mixture while in the bath to accelerate cooling.) Divide custard among ramekins. Arrange ramekins in a small roasting pan and bake in a water bath, uncovered, until custards are set around the edges but still tremble slightly in centers, about one hour. Transfer ramekins to a rack with tongs and cool to warm or room temperature. They will continue to set as they cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

YIELD: About six servings

Cornmeal Shortcakes

Adapted from Al Forno and Sunday Suppers at Lucques

This is a great recipe for shortcakes, made even better when it's topped with fresh summer strawberries and cream, or with some nice marinated or grilled peaches. Here's to the start of a sweet summer!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c all purpose flour
• 1/2 c stone ground cornmeal
• 1 T plus 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 c granulated sugar
• 4 T cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 c plus 1 T heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven at 425.

Place flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 3 heaping Tablespoons of sugar in a bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter, pulse about ten times or until mixture becomes a course meal. With machine running, quickly pout in 1 cup cream. Stop the machine once the dough starts to come together (it is important to NOT OVERMIX the dough).

Place the dough on a clean work surface and bring together with hands, shaping into a circle 1/4" thick. Cut circle in half and then cut each half into four wedges. Place shortcakes on buttered baking sheet and brush with remaining tablespoon of cream. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each one.

Bake 15 minutes or until cakes are set and golden brown. Cool. 

Place on top of your favorite fresh berries and cream.

Additional Serving Suggestion from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

Peaches and Sour Cream 

• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 3/4 pound mascarpone
• 1 T Lemon juice 
• 4 ripe peaches
• Mint Leaves

Make simple syrup by combining sugar and 1/2 c water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Pour into a container and cool in refrigerator.

Place the mascarpone and 1/3 c cold simple sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add more simple syrup to desired sweetness. Add lemon juice. Be careful no to over mix or the mixture will curdle. Keep cold in the refrigerator.

Peel peaches. Cut each in half, remove pits and slice. Toss peaches with 3 T simple syrup. Tear mint with hands, add to peaches and combine. Let them marinate together for at least 10 min.

Place cream and peaches on plate and top with shortcake and enjoy!