Butterscotch

A few years ago, while still an active voice at Chowhound, I started a heated controversy about a delicious but forgotten flavour. Butterscotch. Many people were reviewing the newly opened Townhall in San Francisco and various 'hounds were eating a butterscotch pudding there they thought was divine. I tasted it and immediately knew it was custard made with artificially flavoured "butterscotch" chips and I said so.

After much, "No, it can't be true!" and, "Well I don't care if it is artificial. I like it!" the jury was in. I was right. A well-known pastry chef was calling something home-made and it wasn't.

I didn't even think this could be a possibility until one day my old 1st Assistant from Citizen Cake had gone to trail at The Fifth Floor and she was so stunned by the fact that the pastry chef there used artificial butterscotch chips, she did not take the job. (Well there were some other "shoe-maker" like factors, but that's another post.)

Butterscotch is a memory. Like the perfume/cologne your first love wore, butterscotch is an elusive flavour and texture. And unless you work in an ice cream parlor, it has basically evaporated from the sweet vernacular.

On the by and by, butterscotch is neither about alcohol, nor references it. It is not Scotch based. It is a sauce made from dark brown sugar, butter, cream, vanilla extract (not Tahitian) and salt. It is sweet and thick but not as much as hot fudge or caramel, its Banana Split counterparts. Butterscotch is old fashioned, could use a revival and is always a gentleman. It's subtle and hard to pin down, but once you get it, it turns around and gets you. Like learning to lasso, or throw a boomerang, or deftly holding a whip.

I learned how to make Butterscotch under the tutelage of Claudia Fleming. We conversed about our memories and added more and less of all the ingredients until we both put our spoons in the shiny wood-colored liquid, made immediate eye contact and said, "YES! THAT'S IT!"

If you love baking, love eating dessert at restaurants and diners and everywhere in between, Claudia's book The Last Course is a must have. It's beautiful, elegant, straightforward and smart and the recipes have, literally, been tested dozens of time. (Not true for many a fine cookbook, believe it or not.) Feel free to click on my nifty Powell's link, and order one today. Even if the recipes seem beyond you, they are not. Everything from plated desserts to cornmeal teacakes to radical but natural pairings such as rosemary and pine nuts, rose and rhubarb, bay leaf and chocolate.

So if you have a craving for the Butterscotch from your childhood, come on into Poulet before July 1st. I can guarantee you it's made from scratch.

Poulet
m-f 10:30 am-8 pm saturday 10:30 am-6 pm 
1685 Shattuck Avenue at Virginia Street Berkeley, California

UPDATE:

Spring 07 -- After writing about Butterscotch a few times a reporter from The Washington Post wrote an extensive story on the subject. She quotes me and a few other confectionary experts. Find the article by clicking here.

 

Comments

[Anita]

I think a lot of people confuse butterscotch with caramel and don't realize it's an entity of its own. Those butterscotch chips in the store are kind of strange - just their color and texture and everything.

Of course a hearty endorsement from me for Claudia's book - does she have any plans to write any more?

[maura]

Ha, ha, butterscotch IS a gentleman- an elderly, old-name Yankee who smiles inward and wears soft flanneled shirts!

[From Our Kitchen]

I love butterscotch! But I've always wanted to know, what exactly is the difference between butterscotch and caramel? Caramel is made with white sugar?

[shuna fish lydon]

Anita,

I imagine that one day Claudia and her husband might do a book. But right now they are working on their new place, so I can't imagine it's anytime soon.

Maura-- Always noce to have you here. A great pastry blog is hard to find!

Hello From Our Kitchen,

Yes, caramel is made with white sugar. Although this brings up a good point because our modern brown sugar is white sigar with molasses added back into it. Originally Butterscotch would have been made with black treacle. Welcome to food blog world!

[Tea]

Mmmm, butterscotch. It's not a memory from my (sugar-free) childhood, but I do love it.

And I love what you write about memories and scents or flavors. It is so true. I once sat in a movie theater next to a man wearing the same cologne as a long ago love. I could hardly concentrate on the film, the scent brought back such thoughts and memories.

Lovely writing, as always.

[Cathy]

Lovely post, Shuna. I've given up Domino for the charms of Muscovado brown sugar...wouldn't that make kick-ass butterscotch?

[Dr. Biggles]

Yay! I just absolutely love fresh scratch. In fact, I'm going to use some this weekend.

Biggles

[Rose]

As a fellow pastry chef I've been a big fan of your blog. Butterscotch is one of my most favorite things. It's so easy..so simple. Even my 9 yr old daughter knows how to make butterscotch pudding from scratch. To find out that such a well known pastry chef would cheat & use those nasty chips..well..blech! I heard another restaurant in Larkspur well known for their pudding also uses the chips.

I work in a French restaurant but so what! I still put butterscotch pudding on as a special.

[Kudzu]

Ahhh. I was a weirdo to my friends because I loved butterscotch sundaes (with vanilla ice cream) better than their hot fudges....You have triggered major lust on my part....As for caramel, I can see my mother slowly stirring caramel frosting for her sweet white cake, a Southern favorite (esp. when you decorated the top with a circle of pecan halves). Thanks for the memories.

[Cynthia]

I have a friend who's flour-phobic, and I laughed until I realized that I'm pudding phobic, worried about maintaining something on the stove. I think Butterscotch pudding is worth braving. Sounds intoxicating.

[kate]

butterscotch tart was my favourite pudding at school. I was food monitor on fridays when it was often served which meant i looked after a table of younger pupils - I was only 8 myself. It was my job to make sure they ate their food. Everyone wanted seconds when butterscotch tart was on the menu. Ok I'll stop, I'm drooling now.

[Food Dude]

Butterscotch is one of my favorite things in the whole world. When I'm happy, give me butterscotch pudding! When I'm depressed, give me a huge bowl and a spoon. Hot summer days, cold rainy days with a cup of good coffee; it always works.

I think it is evil that you have made this post, but not put up your recipe!

[shuna fish lydon]

Yo Food Dude, Whas Up?

Hey, I'm not evil at all-- I do lead you to "My" recipe-- it's in the CF book! But you're right, maybe I'll tell you a little more in a few days... thanks for stopping by! Great to hear from you!

[David L]

Hey, I know another famous Bay Area restaurant that actually uses Butterscotch Pudding Mix (!) along with chips for their famous Butterscotch Pudding.

I was pretty shocked when the pastry chef told me about it (after she left), but she said the chef/owner liked it the best...and so do the customers.

[McAuliflower]

What a wonderful insight Shauna. My mind boggles over the thin wall between caramel and butterscotch.

Your timing on this is great as I just made up brown sugar marshamllows that came out butterscotch flavored, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why! :)

[Kathy R]

I just recently found your butterscotch entry and found it fascinating. Now I see that the new Lark Creek Steak restaurant (Westfield SF Center, I think) has butterscotch pudding. I would love to know if they have a good pastry chef there and if they're actually making butterscotch.

[Joyce McGuigan]

Does anyone know where I can find "Butterscotch Puff Balls", they're just like the soft peppermint puffs, only butterscotch flavor..I bought them years ago, but can't find them anywhere...please e-mail me if you know..I have searched the web and searched, but no one know what I'm talking about...Thanks

[meg]

Butterscotch is the elusive flavor my husband adores so I'm always on the lookout, but have never successfully created a dreamy butterscotch present for him. Every 'Scotchie' cooky recipe I find calls for butterscotch chips, and as I've never found them in organic form, I was hoping to be able to make them from scratch. Any suggestions?

[shuna fish lydon]

Meg, click on the butterscotch pudding recipe-- right hand column. I think you'll find your answers there.

[Linda Hart]

To Joyce McGuigan: Hi, I am also searching and searching for those butterscotch puffs. I actually liked the lemon ones the best. Also come in pepperment. About the size of ping-pong balls, you put one in your mouth and it just melts away. So delicious! K-mart used to carry them as a seasonal (summer item). A bag of them was only about a dollar. Please let me know if you find then on the internet or anywhere else! Thanks. Zwan514@aol.com

[Cynthia Swann]

My husband's family have passed a tasty recipe for what his Mother called Coconut Butterscotch Meringue through four generations. (Butterscotch 'chip' don't exist here so one must make b/scotch.) It was basically similar to your recipe for butterscotch (minus the two varieties of sugar and cornflour). It then has a soft meringue topping garnished with coconut flakes. The 'very proper' upper middle class males would jostle each other for second or third helpings, so two desserts were usually cooked. It's a great treat for the cold winter evenings now we're relocated for several years to deepest Southland in New Zealand! Regards, Cynthia Swann

[Heather d]

I also am looking for the butterscotch puff balls and have searched and searched.. can't remember "official name" Kathy R. did you get a respons??

[Melanie Abrams]

did anyone give an answer to the question of where to find butterscotch puffs candy?

[Becky Jones]

Anyone?? Did anyone find the butterscotch puff ball candy?? They were originally made by Brocks which I think was purchased by Brach's Candy and were sold at KMart stores and some other dime stores like D & C.

[michelle harris]

I am also looking for those puff ball candies. I used to buy them at Kmart. They came in lemon, pepermint and strawberry. There was another store that had orange ones at one time. I have not given up my search and will let you all know if I find them.