I have lost count of how often I have come across recipes for butterscotch brownies, cookies, or cakes that suggest using store-bought butterscotch sauce from a jar or butterscotch chips from a bag to achieve that heavenly taste. It is almost like those sandwich recipes that instruct you to use two slices of bread and some deli meats – not very exciting. I always assumed that making butterscotch was a complex and arduous task, requiring specialized equipment and skills. Does that explain the reliance on shortcuts?
I have been deceived, tricked and misled, and so have you too, because making delicious butterscotch – the kind that is so heavenly that it could make you cry- is incredibly simple. Just five ingredients (hint: one of them is salt) and five minutes on the stove are all it takes. It’s just indescribable how amazing it tastes, and I cannot put it into words.
I was going through one of those mornings that I believe every parent of a young child, no matter how adorable, experiences. It’s when you begin to feel like you will never have time to do anything you once enjoyed. Among my ancient list of recipes that I’ve always wished to try, there was this amazing recipe that required minimal ingredients (which you most likely already have at home) and barely any time (less time than a short nap). Its home-cooked deliciousness almost blew me away and made all my frustrations temporarily disappear. It was like a magic wand had been waved.
One year ago: Green Salad with Sausage-Stuffed Potatoes
Two years ago: Espresso and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Three years ago: Zucchini Pancakes
A Simple Butterscotch Sauce Recipe
Loosely adapted from The Washington Post, which adapted it from The Perfect Cake.
Yield: Approximately 2/3 to 3/4 cup of sauce
Ingredients:
– 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
– 1/2 cup (about 109 grams) packed dark or light brown sugar (dark was used)
– 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream
1/2 tsp (2 g) of flaky sea salt (or 1/4 tsp regular salt), with additional salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp (8 ml) of vanilla extract, with additional extract to taste
In a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar, cream, and salt, and whisk until the mixture is well combined. [A flat whisk is ideal for this step.] Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook for approximately five minutes, whisking occasionally.
Take the mixture off the stove and put in one teaspoon of vanilla extract, stirring it in to blend. This is the point where, despite the recipe’s simplicity, you get to feel like a chef. Submerge a spoon into the sauce and cautiously try it (without scalding your tongue!) to see if you desire added sprinkles of salt or dashes of vanilla. Adjust it according to your liking, while whisking thoroughly after each addition. As for me, I utilized a complete teaspoon of flaky salt and the stated quantity of vanilla to acquire a butterscotch sauce with a notably powerful butterscotch taste, but your salt and vanilla strengths might differ.
The sauce can be enjoyed over vanilla ice cream, roasted pears or pound cake, either cold or warm. Its consistency will become thicker as it cools down. To reheat, simply warm it in a microwave or small saucepan after refrigerating it in an airtight container.
Rewritten:
To prepare in advance: Store this sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a minimum of two weeks.
To give as a gift: Packaging it in small jars through the canning route would be best. It is recommended to adjust the recipe as it yields less than a cup. Kindly note that preserving butter and cream-based sauces is not advisable as per some readers. However, you can still use small jars but make sure to inform that they are perishable and must be stored in the refrigerator. You can refer to the Food in Jars blog for canning tips. Thank you to our vigilant readers for helping to ensure that we keep the Smitten Kitchen botulism-free!
