Which side is YOUR Scotch Buttered on? - Butter Scotch Syrup

There is a lot of confusion out there regarding Butterscotch, Caramel, and Toffee, so hopefully this will help a little bit.

Butterscotch - Brown Sugar and Butter (sometimes cream) cooked to Soft Crack stage. (It's not from Scotland and doesn't necessarily contain Scotch whiskey either)

Caramel - White Sugar (sometimes with a tiny amount of water) that has been heated to 300 degrees and begins to "Caramelize" or Brown due to a Maillard reaction.

Toffee - White Sugar and Butter (sometimes cream) cooked to Hard Crack stage. (It really is English)

With regards to that ever delicious Caramel Candy and Caramel syrup....  well depending on how they are made, they may or may not be real Caramel.  Unless the Sugar is actually "caramelized" before the addition of other ingredients (Cream and Butter in varying amounts) then they are not really caramel.

Case in point - Evaporated Milk caramels - The proteins in the milk are browning at a much lower temperature than is necessary to caramelize the sugar, thus the sugar acts only as a sweetener, because the milk would scorch if cooked past 300 degrees.  This is also why cream is used when making real caramels, because it is much lower in milk proteins, being mostly fat.

But back to Butterscotch.  Being that Butterscotch is simply a mixture of brown sugar and butter, and not the caramelization of sugar, this leaves a whole gamut of dessert deliciousness at your disposal....  From syrup and sauce to soft, chewy bits all the way to it's original confectionery form which resembles a Werther's Original.  This leads me to WHY it's called Butterscotch.  "Scotching" is the name for the process of pre-scoring hard candy after it has been poured, allowing for easier cutting once the candy has completely cooled.  I know, it's as confusing as the "Swiss" steak not coming from Switzerland, but being the name of the process of repeatedly puncturing it (swissing) to tenderize it.

Geographic misnomers aside, making Butterscotch is ridiculously simple and a great addition to your dessert repertoire. I am forgoing the original hard candy form, and seeking a softer side of Butterscotch with a sauce/syrup.  Trust me, there is a madness to my method, which will become apparent later.  As a result I will be using a little corn syrup to ensure it does not become too hard as this would be detrimental for Phase II of my master plan.  But even if you don't take this syrup to the culinary extreme that I have planned for it, it's GREAT over ice cream.  :)

Butterscotch Syrup

1 cup packed (200g) Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup packed (100g) Dark Brown Sugar (to offset my usage of corn syrup with a little extra molasses)
1/2 cup (118 ml) light Corn Syrup
1/4 cup (59 ml) Water
4 TB Unsalted Butter
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 cup (118 ml) Heavy Cream
optional 1 TB Lemon Juice
optional 1 TB Scotch Whiskey

Combine Brown Sugars, Corn Syrup, Water and Salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan set over medium flame.

When the Brown Sugar has dissolved, add the Butter and stir until melted.

Add the Heavy Cream and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a slow boil.

Boil for approximately 10 minutes (no thermometer) or until the syrup, dropped from the spoon, holds a short thread.

If you are using the optional Lemon Juice and Scotch, whisk them in now.

Pour the mixture into a heat proof container and allow to cool.

If refrigerating, sauce may need to be warmed slightly. (makes about 2 cups)

Mangia!!
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I See Sea Foam - Sea Foam Frosting

Few things on the planet are as delicious as Sea Foam (Hokey Pokey, Cinder Toffee, Sponge Toffee, etc.)  But, when you combine the deliciousness of Sea Foam and the fluffy marshmallowy goodness of 7 minute frosting.  Stop the bus, cause I am getting off here!

Sea Foam Frosting is sometimes referred to as Penuche frosting.  Whatever you want to call it, it's just yummy.  I have given up on using pasteurized whites for this, simply because I find that with only 2 egg whites and so much 235 degree syrup, the temperature is well above the 140 degree mark, so the whites are getting "cooked" plenty well enough. The nice thing about this is that fresh whites whip up higher than pasteurized ones do.  Thus, a more fluffy frosting.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go bury my face in the bowl.   :)

Sea Foam Frosting

1 1/2 cups Dark Brown Sugar, Packed
1/3 cup water
Pinch of Kosher salt
2 Egg Whites
up to 1 tsp Vanilla (I usually leave it out)

Place Dark Brown Sugar, Water and salt in a medium saucepan over medium flame. (it doesn't look like there is that much in the pan, but when it starts to boil, it will foam a lot)

Stir the mixture until it comes to a boil then place a thermometer in the mix an let it boil until it reaches 235 degrees (you need to cook the brown sugar a little longer than the regular granulated sugar used in normal 7 minute frosting)

Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, and wisk them to stiff peaks.

When the syrup is at temperature, remove the thermometer and turn the mixer on medium, slowly pour the dark syrup into the egg whites, being careful not to hit the whisk or the side of the bowl. (you don't want shards of sugar crystals in your frosting)

When all the syrup has been incorporated, beat for 1 more minute, then switch out the whisk for the paddle attachment (it just works better at this point)

Continue beating for at least 7 minutes, or until the frosting cools to room temperature.

What you will have is a delicious fluffy brown sugary frosting (similar in texture to marshmallow cream)

Use the frosting immediately.  No crumb coats or anything like that, as this frosting cannot be refrigerated and must stay at room temperature.

Just pile it all over whatever cake you have "lion" around.

In this case, a Baker's Cut-up cake design for my nephew Weston's 4th birthday.   These were the cake patterns my mom and grandma used while I and my brothers were growing up, yielding things like fish, turtles, giraffes, rocking horses, penguins, elephants, & various other animals like my nephew's lion.   LOL 

This one is made from Chocolate cake, with Sea Foam Frosting and a mane of Toasted Coconut;  almost like a Violet Crumble in reverse (chocolate covered in sea foam, as opposed to sea foam toffee covered in chocolate)   Add a few licorice legs and a tail with a seafoam frosted marshmallow, a gum drop nose, ear and tongue and your good to go.

Mangia!!
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The BEST Kind of Leftovers... Aside from Cold Pizza

So what do you do with the left over Rice Krispies from making Rice Krispie Treats? OK, aside from making MORE Rice Krispie treats. You make Rice Krispie Cookies......

They were suggested by my mother. So I decided to start pokin around on the internet and see what I could find on these cookies. I did find a lot of recipes, starting in 2001 with Josette Aaron who won a baking contest, but her recipe had nuts and less sugar. There were several others as well. Some with Shortening, others with only granulated sugar, and still others had no oatmeal, but twice the amount of Rice Krispies.

As I was lamenting the fact that there were a million and four variations, my mom handed me a recipe that she had acquired from her friend Judy Bjorge. So I decided that it would probably be in my best interest to listen to mom and use Judy's recipe to make them. (See, with age comes wisdom) LOL

OK, I admit I fudged just a little... I added an extra 1/2 cup of Rice Krispies.... ;)

Rice Krispie Cookies

3 1/2 cups AP Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cream of Tarter
1 tsp Salt
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 cup Unsalted Butter
1 large Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Peanut oil (or vegetable)
1 cup Quick Oats
1 cup Shredded Coconut
1 1/2 cup Rice Krispies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, whisk the Flour, Baking Powder, Cream of Tarter and Salt together, then set aside.

Cream the Granulated and Brown Sugars together with the Butter until light and fluffy.

Mix in the Egg and Vanilla.

Beat in the Oil until well combined.

With the mixer on low, begin adding the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time to prevent a dust cloud.

Once all the flour is incorporated, add the Quick oats and mix until combined.

Once a soft dough has been achieved, fold in the Coconut and the Rice Krispies.

Drop onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Flatten slightly with a fork, in a cross pattern, like you would for Peanut Butter Cookies.

Bake for 9-10 minutes.

Move to a cooling rack.

Brew a BIG pot of Coffee... Cause these things are EVIL good!!! Thank GOD the recipe makes 5 dozen. They will last about 2 days...... Maybe...

Mangia!!
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