Butterscotch Mousse Recipe

Brown butter

1. Cut the butter into smaller pieces, and place it in a saucepan.
2. Heat over medium heat (or medium high heat) to melt the butter.
3. When the butter melts and starts to foam, add the dry milk powder and stir it in well.
4. Continue to heat the butter, while stirring frequently to prevent the milk solids from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The milk solids will first separate and float to the top, and then sink to the bottom (along with the milk powder).
5. Once the milk solids separate and sink to the bottom, they will turn color as they caramelize.
6. Keep an eye on the milk solids as they go from white, to yellow, to golden brown and then amber, in color.
7. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the milk solids turn light amber in color, and then pour it into a bowl. The butter will continue to cook a little further from the residual heat. Set aside until needed.

Butterscotch custard

1. Place the milk, and salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat while stirring occasionally to melt the sugar.
2. Place the eggs, brown sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a separate bowl or heat-proof jug, and whisk until you get a smooth mixture that is free of lumps. Place the jug on a non-slip surface (non-slip mat or a damp towel).
3. Heat the milk until steaming hot (almost simmering).
4. Add some of the hot milk in a thin stream into the whisked egg mixture. Make sure to constantly whisk until enough milk is added to warm the egg mixture. The non-slip surface should help keep the bowl in place.
5. Add the warm egg mixture back into the saucepan with the leftover hot milk mixture, and stir to combine.
6. Heat over medium heat while stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to thicken. Keep heating and whisking / stirring until the custard starts to boil (i.e. large bubbles reaching the surface in-between stirring).
7. When the custard is boiling, lower the heat and continue to cook the custard for 1 - 2 more minutes, while stirring constantly.
8. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the brown butter (or regular butter if you're not using brown butter).
9. Stir it in with a whisk until the butter is emulsified in the custard.
10. Scrape the custard into a bowl or dish and spread it evenly. The shallower the dish, the larger the surface area, which will help the custard cool down faster. Cover the custard with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the whole surface of the custard (to prevent a skin from forming on top).
11. Allow the custard to cool down, and then transfer it to the fridge to chill completely. At least 2 hours (depending on the dish), but I prefer to chill it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.

Stabilized whipped cream

1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, place the water, and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water. Make sure all the gelatin is saturated with water, and then let it sit for at least 10 minutes to bloom.
2. In a large bowl, place the heavy cream. Have it ready to be whisked with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer by the time the gelatin is ready.
3. After 10 minutes, microwave the gelatin in 10 second intervals to dissolve it. Do NOT let the gelatin mixture boil.
4. Stir in the 1 - 1.5 tbsp of cold cream or milk into the hot melted gelatin.
5. Start whisking the heavy cream mixture on high speed, and add the gelatin into it. Do NOT add the gelatin directly onto the whisk. Instead, add it where the cream is moving quickly due to whisking action. Alternatively, as soon as you add the gelatin, move the mixer around in the cream to make sure that the gelatin is mixed in well. The idea is to get the gelatin mixed into the cream as fast as possible, without the gelatin mixture directly touching the whisk when added.
6. Once the gelatin is mixed in, lower the mixer speed to medium (or medium high), and whisk the heavy cream until you have stiff peaks. Keep a close eye on it since the cream can go from stiff peaks to broken in a matter of seconds. For this reason I prefer to whisk the cream on a lower speed.
7. The stabilized whipped cream is ready and should be used immediately.

Butterscotch mousse

1. Transfer the chilled custard into a large bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy and lump free (the chilled custard will have set in the fridge).
2. Add about a ¼ of the stabilized whipped cream and whisk it into the custard. This will loosen up the custard making it easy to fold in the rest of the whipped cream.
3. Add the rest of the whipped cream in 2 - 3 additions, and gently fold in each addition until it’s evenly mixed in the custard.
4. Place the mousse in a large serving dish, or individual serving dishes (about 6 - 7 half cup servings), and then let it set in the fridge for at least 2 hours (for individual servings) or overnight (for a large serving dish).
5. Serve with whipped cream and/or butterscotch or salted caramel sauce or chocolate fudge sauce.