Nothing beats that smooth, mellow sweetness.
Mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan, then gradually stir in the milk. Cook that stuff over medium heat, making sure to stir constantly, until mixture thickens and starts boiling. Keep stirring as you let it boil for 1 minute.
Gradually stir half of the hot mixture into a bowl with the egg yolks, then stir that back into the other half of the hot mixture in the saucepan. Continue to boil and stir for 1 minute, then take the pan off the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla.
Pour the pudding into dessert dishes. Cover the dishes and let them chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.