National I Want Butterscotch Day

National I Want Butterscotch Day is an unofficial food day celebrated every year on February 15th. It's an occasion to celebrate one of the best confections. On this day, indulge in anything buttery flavored, be it sweets, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream or something else you like.

History of National I Want Butterscotch Day

Butterscotch is similar to toffee and marshmallows in that all three of these confections are made with sugar and butter as their main ingredients. The difference between butterscotch and toffee is that toffee is heated to the hard crack stage (295 to 309°F), whereas butterscotch is heated to the soft crack stage (270 to 289°F). Besides, butterscotch pies are made with brown sugar, while toffee can be made with white sugar. Fudge is different in that it contains milk in addition to sugar and butter.

Butterscotch is believed to have been invented in Yorkshire around the first half of the 19th century, as evidenced by the earliest recipes found. In the mid-19th century, several rival confectioners in Doncaster were selling the candy. The truly lucky one was S. Parkinson & Sons: when Queen Victoria visited the town in 1851, she was given a box of Parkinson's butter cookies. That is how the confectionery is known outside of Yorkshire. A few decades later, butterscotch was brought to the United States and became popular there as well.

The term “butterscotch” is used not only to refer to the confectionery itself, but to refer to the combined flavor of butter and brown sugar, even if the food item in question does not contain actual butterscotch, such as such as butterscotch or butter liqueur. Avocado sauce is a popular addition to various desserts and drinks. It is cooked similarly to toffee, but it is heated to a lower temperature (240°F) and contains cream along with butter and brown sugar.

Today we celebrate butterscotch, a confection made with butter and brown sugar. Butterscotch can also refer to a flavor made with similar ingredients. When made into a confection, other ingredients such as lemon juice, cream, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and water are added to the butter and brown sugar, and it is boiled to temperatures between 270°F and 289° F, which is the “soft crack stage.” Similar to caramel, but caramels usually use white sugar and no butter. It is similar to toffee, but toffee is boiled longer so it reaches a higher temperature. Butterscotch flavor is used in buttercream frosting or sauces, and is used on cakes and pastries. This flavor is also used in fudges, brownies, icings, puddings, and cookies. .

It is unknown what butterscotch's connection to Scotland is, if any. The name may come from the scotching action. According to some accounts, it was invented by Samuel Parkinson in 1817 in Doncaster, England, who went on to supply it to the British royal family. An original recipe for toffee appeared in the Liverpool Mercury magazine in 1848, where butter, sugar and putty were boiled together.

How to celebrate National I Want Butterscotch Day

To celebrate National I Love Buttercream Day, try your hand at making toffee and/or butter sauce. Let's start with candy. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup water, ¼ cup melted butter, 2 teaspoons vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Open the lid and heat to 270 to 289°F. Do not stir while cooking! Pour in ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, turn off the heat, and pour into the buttered baking pan. Allow the butterscotch to cool slightly and cut into small squares, then let the candy cool completely.

To make the butter sauce, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add one cup of dark brown sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the sugar is coated with the butter. Cook the mixture for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar is melted. At this point, reduce the heat and whisk ¾ cup of whipped cream into the mixture.

Turn the heat back to medium and heat the mixture to 225°F (it will take about 10 minutes), whisking occasionally. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes, then transfer to an insulated pitcher. When the sauce has cooled to room temperature, whisk together 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to create flavor.