"butterscotch" news and stories

Happy National Butterscotch Pudding Day!

As a devotee of anything salty-sweet, I'll take butterscotch -- that blessed, unctuously rich fusion of butter and brown sugar -- in any form I can get it, and a pillowy pudding seems to be an exquisite base for the buttery dessert. Butterscotch was invented in the mid-19th century, but its origins are hazy, and the "scotch" is debated to refer to its creation in Scotland or, according to other sources, is a deviation from the term "scorch," referring to its preparation.

When seeking fail-proof dessert recipes, we always find ourselves beelining to one preferred source: David Lebovitz, pastry chef extraordinaire. Lucky for us, he's created a whiskey-spiked butterscotch pudding recipe that he promises to be "fantastically creamy, hyper-délicieux." We believe him, but get cooking and see for yourself!

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Happy National Butterscotch Brownie Day!

For those of you unfamiliar with this buttery treat, the butterscotch "brownie" is really more of a "blondie," favoring butterscotch chips instead of the dark brown chocolate base of the typical brownie. Suited for the non-chocolate lovers that prefer somewhat more savory desserts, the blondie is super easy to whip up using typical pantry ingredients, with the addition of its namesake flavoring.

Trust Nestle Toll House for a classic butterscotch brownie recipe, or fashion your own butterscotch brownie cake (pictured at left) following Bakerella's cake recipe with butterscotch ganache.

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By Christie Matheson
Photography by Joyce Oudkerk Pool
The Harvard Common Press -- 2009
Buy it at Amazon

There is a culinary chasm that is infrequently crossed: There are people who crave sugar and others who crave salt. Very rarely do these worlds collide. However, "Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt" manages to successfully bridge the gap, offering the savory-inclined a variety of non-saccharine sweets.

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying, after the jump.

Butterscotch sauce is a rich and buttery treat that makes a great seasonal dessert topper in place of chocolate or whipped cream.

Though we've never been able to choose sides on the vanilla-versus-chocolate debate, blondies as unique as these render the traditional brownie somewhat uninspired.

Frites & Fries' recipe for Butterscotch and Whiskey Bars inventively pairs the dulcet butterscotch with a not-so-subtle dash of whiskey (a quarter cup!), adding a pleasurably harsher nuttiness to what becomes a complex, sweet-savory confection. The grown-up recipe aims to please both those with a penchant for sweets and those with a weakness for whiskey -- and provides an easy, soul-warming wintery treat.

The flexible blondie serves as a vessel to showcase whatever ingredients you favor, from cranberry and white chocolate, to coconut and lime. What are your favorite blondie additions? Share your recommendations in the comments!

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