Recipe Collection: Butterscotch Sauce

I have always loved butterscotch, but up until recently I was only familiar with the “butterscotch” that Dairy Queen served (no, I haven’t been there in a really long time).  I missed butterscotch.  I figured…I should be able to make this myself, right?

Then there was one night where I really wanted a treat.  I’m trying not to eat too much sugar, so I ran through the list of possibilities in my head.  I wanted something delicious and sweet but not too sugar-heavy.  I ultimately decided I’d make some raw vanilla ice cream (raw milk, raw pastured egg yolks, and a tiny bit of maple syrup and vanilla) and top it with this deliciousness.  Most of the treat was cream and butter, and sugar took a back seat.  Plus, since I only used a small amount on the finished ice cream, it really wasn’t too bad.  My favorite thing would have been to top it off with some chopped, crispy nuts…but sadly I didn’t have any.

This is a great way to make a mostly healthy, yummy treat!  And it lasts several weeks in the fridge so you can use just a small amount at once…if you don’t eat it right away because it’s too awesome.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. butter
• 3/4 c. sucanat
• 3/4 c. heavy cream (I used grass-fed, raw)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Add your sucanat to a medium sauce pan.

Add the butter.

Turn to medium heat and cook and stir this until the sucanat melts completely and it turns into a thick liquid.

Cook without stirring now for 5 – 10 minutes over medium heat (it should be bubbling), until the mixture reaches the softball stage.

You’ll notice that the edges that are bubbling up are slightly browned — the sugar is caramelizing a bit.  That’s okay.  Make sure the heat isn’t too high or it will burn, and quickly.

Test the mixture in a small bowl of cold water to see if it holds together loosely.  This is how you know it is at the softball stage.

Remove from the heat briefly and stir in the cream all at once.

Now it is basically a liquid.  Return it to the heat and allow it to come to a boil.  Because of the high sugar content, it won’t curdle.

Boil for 10 minutes without stirring.  It will be thickening now into an actual “sauce.”

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.  Add the vanilla.

Add the sea salt, a little at a time, tasting until it’s how you want.  (Yes, I accidentally added mine too soon.  I forgot it needed to boil again first.)

And that’s it!  Pour it into a glass dish to store.  You have yummy butterscotch sauce.

How will you serve your butterscotch sauce?