Stovetop Butterscotch Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 ounces white chocolate with a strong vanilla flavor, such as Green & Black's
• 3 1/2 ounces quick-toasted sugar
• 1 ounce malted milk powder, such as Carnation
• 1/2 ounce cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
• 5 large egg yolks
• 12 ounces milk, any percentage will do
• 1/4 ounce vanilla extract

Directions

Coarsely cut the white chocolate, put it in a medium bowl, and set a large single-mesh sieve across the bowl. In a 3-quart stainless steel saucier, whisk the toasted sugar with the malted milk powder, cornstarch, and salt. Drop in the egg yolks and pour in just a small splash of the milk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, then blend in the rest of the milk. Set the pan over medium-low heat and stir with the whisk until the mixture is very warm, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk gently as the custard becomes thick, about 3 minutes; once it has thickened, keep cooking and whisking for 1 minute longer. Right away, pour it through the sieve into the bowl, using a flexible spatula to push the custard through. Stir in the vanilla extract, then keep stirring until the clouds of steam settle down. Serve it warm, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 week; stir before serving if chilled.