Butterscotch | Description, Ingredients, & Uses (2024)

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butterscotch, usually hard candy made by boiling brown sugar and butter and sometimes corn syrup together in water. The derivation of the name is disputed as to whether it denotes the candy’s origin in Scotland or an original ingredient of “scotched,” or scorched, butter. Although the terms butterscotch and caramel are sometimes used interchangeably, butterscotch is generally distinguished by the absence of milk or milk substitutes from its recipe.

Butterscotch in its hard form is typically marketed as translucent rich yellow drops or disks individually wrapped in cellophane. Butterscotch chips, analogous to chocolate chips, are packaged and sold primarily for use in dessert cooking. In the home kitchen, the making of butterscotch is usually an initial step in the preparation of some more complicated elegant dessert. The brown sugar and butter formula is basic to a variety of cookies, puddings, icings, fudges, and sauces.

Butterscotch | Description, Ingredients, & Uses (1)

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Butterscotch | Description, Ingredients, & Uses (2024)

FAQs

What is butterscotch made of? ›

Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter. Some recipes include corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th century Yorkshire, used treacle (molasses) in place of, or in addition to, sugar.

What is the difference between caramel and butterscotch? ›

Butterscotch vs Caramel

The difference between butterscotch and caramel is that caramel is made with white granulated sugar and cooked to 340 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas butterscotch is made with brown sugar and cooked to 289 degrees Fahrenheit.

Does butterscotch have scotch in it? ›

Butterscotch, on the other hand, is made with brown sugar instead. Butterscotch originally was just a hard candy. The suffix “scotch” is not related to alcohol, but to the method of cutting. Hard candy is difficult to break into clean pieces, so the candy is “scotched” (scored) to make it easy to cut later.

Is butterscotch made from nuts? ›

(similar to a nut brittle, without the nuts). What is butterscotch? Butterscotch is simply a combination of brown sugar and butter, cooked together.

What does butterscotch candy have in it? ›

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, white sugar, water, vinegar, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove lid and heat, without stirring, to 270 to 290 degrees F (132 to 143 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms hard but pliable threads.

What is butterscotch cream made of? ›

The most basic butterscotch sauce is brown sugar melted with butter – though it can also contain additions like heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Whereas caramel sauce has the finicky tendency to crystallize as you boil the sugar, the butter and molasses in this helps the sugar dissolve evenly and prevent crystallization.

What is the crunchy stuff in butterscotch? ›

It is not any coated dry fruit but it is hardened sugar,corn syrup along with few other ingredients then dropped with teaspoon to made chocolate chips like candies. These candies are also available in market like chocolate chips.

What is butterscotch extracted from? ›

butterscotch, usually hard candy made by boiling brown sugar and butter and sometimes corn syrup together in water. The derivation of the name is disputed as to whether it denotes the candy's origin in Scotland or an original ingredient of “scotched,” or scorched, butter.

What flavor is closest to butterscotch? ›

Similar to caramel, butterscotch is made by heating sugar. The main difference between the two is that butterscotch uses brown sugar instead of white.

Is dulce de leche the same as butterscotch? ›

Butterscotch is made from cooking down brown sugar with butter, and its flavor is sweeter and softer than that of caramel. Dulce de leche is made from slowly cooking cow milk and sugar together. Dulce de leche made with goat milk is known as cajeta.

Is brown sugar just white sugar with molasses? ›

Refined brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added to it. This means that brown sugar is pure, unrefined sugar and undergoes less processing than white sugar, allowing it to retain some of its molasses content and natural brown color.

What the heck is butterscotch? ›

Butterscotch is a type of hard yellowish-brown candy made from butter and sugar boiled together. A butterscotch flavored or colored thing has the flavor or color of butterscotch.

What kind of alcohol is butterscotch? ›

Sweet liqueurs flavored with butterscotch, best known as butterscotch schnapps, are often made with a mixture of butter and brown sugar, though some use artificial flavors. Either way, they're designed to taste just like butterscotch caramels and used to create deliciously sweet co*cktails and shots.

What makes butterscotch taste like butterscotch? ›

The primary taste of butterscotch comes from its main ingredient, brown sugar, which imparts a deep, caramel-like sweetness. This sweetness is characterised by notes of toffee and a hint of molasses, a complexity due to the molasses content in brown sugar.

What country invented butterscotch? ›

Origin. Butterscotch is claimed to have been first named in 1817 in Doncaster, England by Samuel Parkinson. He had begun making the candy earlier under the name of buttery brittle toffee. The company that produced the candy received the Royal Seal of Approval for their highly demanded export.

What is in Ben and Jerry's butterscotch? ›

Ingredients. CREAM, SKIM MILK, WATER, LIQUID SUGAR (SUGAR, WATER), SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, COCONUT OIL, EGG YOLKS, BUTTER (CREAM, SALT), WHEAT FLOUR, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), COCOA, MOLASSES, SALT, TAPIOCA STARCH, SUNFLOWER OIL, CARRAGEENAN, SOY LECITHIN, GUAR GUM, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, SOYBEAN OIL.

What are some fun facts about butterscotch? ›

In 1817, the word was first called in the Yorkshire town of Doncaster. In the US, butterscotch became popular in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. The word National Butterscotch day is on the 19th of September. Butterscotch sauce can be used as a topping on ice cream.

What are the crunchy bits in butterscotch? ›

Q. What is the crunchy thing present in butterscotch ice cream? The crunchy thing is hardened corn syrup, sugar and other ingredient made under high temperature, rather than caramel-coated cashew or almonds.

Is Werther's original butterscotch? ›

The original Werthers Echte was a caramel hard candy.

What nut is used in butterscotch? ›

Butterscotch Chips Made with Real Cashew nuts. A deliciously indulging candy treat. Use them for decorations or just for casual crunchy bites.

Why do they call it butterscotch? ›

Parkinson & Sons added the titles of "The Queen's Sweetmeat" and "Royal Doncaster Butterscotch" to their marketing in selling the sweet treats. The origin of the name "butterscotch" likely refers to an antiquated confectionary term 'to scotch,' which means to score or cut.

Is there a difference between caramel and butterscotch? ›

The main difference between caramel and butterscotch is that caramel is made by heating white, granulated sugar to various stages, while butterscotch is made with brown sugar and butter, which gives it a deeper, more rounded flavor, thanks to the butter and molasses.

What pairs well with butterscotch? ›

In the kitchen, FOBs (friends of butterscotch) include apples, pecans, cream, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, chocolate, dessert sherry, rum and Scotch whisky.

What is in butterscotch natural flavor? ›

Butterscotch Type, Natural Flavor Blend contains propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, water and natural flavor. This extract is gluten and sugar-free. For Baked Goods and other Food Applications.

Why is ice cream called butterscotch? ›

It is named as such because the ice cream is made using butterscotch syrup or extract. butter and brown sugar are the two main components of the confectionary known as butterscotch.

Why is butterscotch disappearing? ›

Why the disappearance? According to John Wright, author of "Flavor Creation," butterscotch never even cracked the Jell-O pudding flavors' top 10 list. So it's highly possible that Kraft Heinz, Jell-O's parent company, cleared out the butterscotch to make room for exciting new flavors.

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