Butterscotch is a caramel-like candy made from sugar, salt, water, and butter. It is often dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with nuts. Making it requires attention to time and temperature. The candy is poured onto a buttered cookie sheet, cooled, and then coated with chocolate and nuts before being broken into pieces.
Butterscotch is a thick candy that can be molded and eaten on its own or used as a topping for other candy desserts. It typically has a hard, crunchy texture, and its main component is a mixture of sugar and butter heated to the point of caramelization. Traditional butterscotch recipes are often referred to as English caramel due to the origins of the confection. This treat is often dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with chopped nuts, such as walnuts or almonds. Making butterscotch requires attention to time and temperature to avoid separation of ingredients or burning, but experienced home candy makers often report that the results are worth the initial effort.
The typical butterscotch recipe calls for sugar, salt, water, and butter. Many cooks recommend using salted rather than unsalted butter to get the right balance of flavors. These ingredients are typically heated in a nonstick metal-coated pot or greased with a generous amount of extra butter. Experienced confectioners recommend using a quality candy thermometer to ensure this confection reaches the right temperature. Maintaining a coating of butter on your baking tools and utensils is essential to keep the toffee mixture from sticking during the baking and pouring process.
Once the primary ingredients have been thoroughly blended, cooked, and thickened to the recommended consistency, the liquid butterscotch is poured and spread out onto a buttered cookie sheet to prevent sticking. An important aspect of this step is to spread the candy as evenly as possible to ensure even cooling. Many cooks simply use a knife and cookie sheet coated with standard butter, although another option is to pour the candy onto a non-stick silicone baking sheet specially designed for this type of candy making. These are usually available at kitchen supply stores. While the candy is cooling, the chocolate and nuts can be prepared for the final stages.
Some cooks like to pour and spread a coat of melted chocolate on just one side of the cooled butterscotch. Others like to flip the fudge sheet over after the first side hardens and cover the second side with chocolate as well. If chopped nuts are included in this type of caramel recipe, they need to be sprinkled over the chocolate before it cools. The finished candy is then usually broken into sizable pieces with the tip of a paring knife. Smaller pieces of candy can also be sprinkled over ice cream or the top of a frosted cake.
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