Butterscotch

[guajolote]

My daughter was sucking on a mystery flavored Dum-Dum lollipop last night and gave me a taste. I said, "That's butterscotch flavored." She asked what butterscotch is and I had to admit that I had no idea, but knew where to find out.

Anyone?

[Fat Guy]

Butterscotch is primarily butter and brown sugar. There are several variants as well.

[JAZ]

From an old issue of Fine Cooking magazine:

"Butterscotch is caramel -- and then some. Whereas caramel is made with white sugar, butterscotch uses brown sugar for a deeper flavor. It's also enriched with butter or cream, and it gets a flavor boost from a generous dose of salt."

[JFLinLA]

OK, so we've differentiated between caramel and butterscotch.

Now then, what's toffee?

[claire797]

OK, so we've differentiated between caramel and butterscotch.

Now then, what's toffee?

Sugar takes on a different consistency at various stages of the cooking process -- soft ball, hard ball, hard crack etc. Without looking it up, my guess would be that toffee has just been cooked longer.

[tan319]

OK, so we've differentiated between caramel and butterscotch.

Now then, what's toffee?

caramelized sugar, deglazed with heavy cream, to me.

[Lesley C]

So there's never any Scotch involved?

Why not deglaze your brown-sugar caramel with butter, cream and a shot of Scotch?

Hmm...I might have something there.

[Fat Guy]

Single malt butterscotch.

[joiei]

When I worked at The Grill Room, we did a butterscotch with scotch. The recipe belonged to my pastry chef-Lisa Liggett.

[tan319]

So there's never any Scotch involved?

Why not deglaze your brown-sugar caramel with butter, cream and a shot of Scotch?

Hmm...I might have something there.

Think I;m going to have to try this.

Ummmmm, Laphroig...

[pastryani]

I'd like to make Butterscotch with actual Scotch, but don't know which is the best Scotch to use.  When I've asked Scotch aficionados they say use the "cheap stuff" because the subtle notes that you'll be paying more for with the expensive brands for won't come across in a candy/caramel form.  This sounds like it could be true... thoughts?  That said, what is a good option that's not super pricey but also doesn't taste like gasoline AND that would work well/complement a caramel?  Thanks!  

[liuzhou]

Butterscotch does not usually contain Scotch whisky. In fact, I've never come across such a thing. The "scotch" in the word "butterscotch" has a very different meaning unconnected with the "Scotch" in "Scotch whisky"

[RWood]

Well, I'm not a Scotch drinker, but the last time I made Butterscotch Pudding, I think I used Glenlivit.  I mainly just picked one in the bar at work .  I liked the flavor it had.  I have used Jack Daniels too, which isn't Scotch, but I like  the flavor it adds.  

Even those Scotch isn't technically in butterscotch,   I find it a little flat without some kind of alcohol added.  

[Mjx]

Butterscotch recipes do not include whisky of any sort, 'scotch' notwithstanding (e.g. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/06/AR2007030600264.html).

[pastryani]

Wow, who knew?! (not me!)  A friend asked me to make a "real butterscotch" with actual scotch in it (something she remembered from her childhood), so I'll have to let her know that that's not a real thing (she'll be devastated).  In looking up the diffs between caramel and butterscotch, it seems that the latter is made with brown sugar and not cooked to as high of a temp.  I'll try it out, and will likely still add booze to it and call it butterscotch - I'm guessing she'll get over it.  

[Jim D.]

Just a word of caution: It may well be my faulty technique, but several times (though not every time) when I made butterscotch (cooking brown sugar with the butter, rather than adding the butter later as is usual with a caramel), the finished product looked fine for a while but then separated into a brown sugar and a butter layer, and nothing I did successfully recombined them. So I would suggest you leave yourself some extra time to deal with any "mishaps."

[pastryani]

Jim - now that you mention it, I too had a mishap when making a caramel with brown sugar.  In my case, the next day the caramel had completely crystallized.  Nothing was wasted as it became a most delicious addition to cookie dough, but it wasn't what I had set out to make.  I figured it was just the "unrefined-ness" of the sugar that caused it, though if that's the case, I'm not sure how to avoid it if using brown sugar. 

[Jim D.]

Did you use any glucose? If not, that's what I would try.

[Kerry Beal]

Is this person thinking butterscotch or butterscotch sauce? Cause for sauce I happily add a couple of jiggers of whatever flavourful booze I've got around to make it tastier.

[pastryani]

@Jim D. will try glucose next time

@Kerry Beal I think she meant caramels she could bite into