– Etymology:
– Food historians have theories on the name and origin of butterscotch.
– One explanation is the meaning to cut or score for the word scotch.
– The scotch part of its name possibly derived from the word scorch.
– In 1855, F. K. Robinsons Glossary of Yorkshire Words explained Butterscotch as a treacle ball with an amalgamation of butter in it.
– History:
– Early mentions of butterscotch associate the confection with Doncaster in Yorkshire.
– An 1848 issue of the Liverpool Mercury gave a recipe for Doncaster butterscotch.
– By 1851, Doncaster butterscotch was sold commercially by rival confectioners.
– Parkinsons started to use and advertise the Doncaster Church as their trademark.
– In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the British sweet became popular in the U.S.
– Packaging and products:
– Butterscotch is used as a flavor for items such as dessert sauce, pudding, and biscuits.
– Butterscotch chips made with hydrogenated fats are available for baking.
– Individually wrapped, translucent yellow hard candies (butterscotch disks) are made.
– Butterscotch-flavored liqueur is in production.
– Luxury traditional butterscotch is made in Shropshire, wrapped in foil wrappers.
– Sauce:
– Butterscotch sauce is made of brown sugar cooked to 240°F mixed with butter and cream.
– See also:
– Caramel
– Werthers Original
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.
 Butterscotch sweets | |
| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Region or state | Doncaster, Yorkshire |
| Main ingredients | Brown sugar, butter |
Butterscotch is similar to toffee, but the sugar is boiled to the soft crack stage, not hard crack. Often credited with their invention, S. Parkinson & Sons of Doncaster made butterscotch boiled sweets and sold them in tins, which became one of the town's best-known exports. They became famous in 1851 after Queen Victoria was presented with a tin when she visited the town. Butterscotch sauce, made of butterscotch and cream, is used as a topping for ice cream (particularly sundaes).
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 butterscotch pudding (a type of custard).