 Butterscotch sweets | |
| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Region or state | Doncaster,Yorkshire |
| Main ingredients | Brown sugar, butter |
Butterscotch is a type ofconfection whose primary ingredients arebrown sugar andbutter. Some recipes includecorn syrup, cream,vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th centuryYorkshire, usedtreacle (molasses) in place of, or in addition to, sugar.
Butterscotch is similar totoffee, but the sugar is boiled to thesoft crack stage, nothard crack.[1] Often credited with their invention,S. Parkinson & Sons ofDoncaster made butterscotch boiled sweets and sold them in tins, which became one of the town's best-known exports.[2] They became famous in 1851 afterQueen Victoria was presented with a tin when she visited the town.[3] Butterscotch sauce, made of butterscotch and cream, is used as a topping for ice cream (particularlysundaes).
The term "butterscotch" is also often used more specifically for the flavour of brown sugar and butter together, even if the actual confection butterscotch is not involved, such as in butterscotchpudding (a type ofcustard).
Food historians have several theories regarding the name and origin of this confectionery, but none is conclusive. One explanation is the meaning "to cut or score" for the word "scotch", as the confection must be cut into pieces, or "scotched", before hardening.[4][5] Alternatively, the "scotch" may derive from the word "scorch".[6] In 1855, F. K. Robinson'sGlossary of Yorkshire Words explained Butterscotch as "atreacle ball with an amalgamation of butter in it".[7]
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Early mentions of butterscotch associate the confection withDoncaster in Yorkshire. An 1848 issue of theLiverpool Mercury gave a recipe for "Doncaster butterscotch" as "one pound of butter, one pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of treacle, boiled together" (500 g each of butter and sugar and 125 g treacle).[8]
By 1851, Doncaster butterscotch was sold commercially by rival confectionersS. Parkinson & Sons (the original Parkinson recipe is still made today[disputed –discuss][9]), Henry Hall, and Booth's via agents elsewhere in Yorkshire.[10][11][12] Parkinson's started to use and advertise the Doncaster Church as their trademark.[13] It was advertised as "Royal Doncaster Butterscotch", or "The Queen's Sweetmeat", and said to be "the best emollient for the chest in the winter season".[14] Parkinson's Butterscotch was by appointment to the royal household and was presented to thePrincess Elizabeth, then the Duchess of Edinburgh, in 1948[15] and toAnne, Princess Royal in 2007.[16] In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the British sweet became popular in the U.S.[17]
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Butterscotch is often used as a flavour for items such asdessert sauce, pudding, andbiscuits (cookies). To that end, it can be bought in "butterscotch chips" made with hydrogenated (solid) fats to be similar for baking use tochocolate chips.
Also, individually wrapped, translucent yellow hard candies (butterscotch disks) are made with an artificial butterscotch flavour. In addition, butterscotch-flavouredliqueur is in production.
Butterscotch sauce is made of brown sugar cooked to 240 °F (116 °C) mixed with butter and cream.[18]
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