Butterscotch
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Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter, although other ingredients such as corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt are part of some recipes. According to "Housewife's Corner" in an 1848 newspaper, the real recipe for "making Doncaster butterscotch is one pound of butter, one pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of treacle, boiled together."[1]
Butterscotch is similar to toffee, but for butterscotch the sugar is boiled to the soft crack stage, and not hard crack as with toffee. Butterscotch sauce is often made into a syrup, which is used as a topping for ice cream (particularly sundaes).
The term butterscotch is also often used for the flavour of brown sugar and butter together even where actual confection butterscotch is not involved, e.g. butterscotch pudding.
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[edit] History
Food historians have several theories regarding the name and origin of this confectionery, but none is conclusive. One explanation is the meaning "to cut or score" for the word "scotch", as the confection must be cut into pieces, or "scotched", before hardening.[2][3] It is also possible that the "scotch" part of its name was derived from the word "scorch".
In 1855 F. K. Robinson's Glossary of Yorkshire Words, explained Butterscotch as "a treacle ball with an amalgamation of butter in it".[4]
"Doncaster Butterscotch" was known at least as early as 1848[1] and sold commercially by rival confectioners S. Parkinson & Sons (still trading as Parkinson's[5]), Henry Hall, and Booth's, all of Doncaster, via agents in Yorkshire.[6][7][8] Internationally, Parkinson's was recognised as the inventor but others tried to claim the product for themselves, Parkinson's started to use and advertise the Doncaster Church as their trademark.[9]
It was advertised as "Royal Doncaster Butterscotch", or "The Queen's Sweetmeat", and said to be "the best emollient for the chest in the winter season".[10] Parkinson's Butterscotch was by appointment to the Royal household and was presented to the Queen in 1948[11] and to Princess Anne, The Princess Royal in 2007.[12] Doncaster Butterscotch is still sold today by Parkinson's.[5]
[edit] Packaging and products
Butterscotch is often used as a flavor for items such as dessert sauce, pudding, and biscuits (cookies). To that end, it can be bought in "butterscotch chips", made with hydrogenated (solid) fats so as to be similar for baking use to chocolate chips. There are also individually wrapped, translucent sometimes yellow colored hard candies (butterscotch disks) with an artificial butterscotch flavour, which is dissimilar to actual butterscotch.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Liverpool Mercury, February 1, 1848, page 4
- ^ http://www.baking911.com/candy/butterscotch.htm
- ^ http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007196how_to_make_butterscotch.php
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, "Butterscotch"
- ^ a b http://www.doncasterbutterscotch.com
- ^ Sheffield & Rotherham Independent December 20, 1851
- ^ Sheffield & Rotherham Independent December 27, 1851
- ^ Bradford Observer 21, 1856
- ^ Observer (New Zealand), Volume IX, Issue 570, 30 November 1889, Page 3
- ^ Leeds Mercury January 29, 1853
- ^ http://www.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/features/royals_visit_1948_st_leger_1_253568
- ^ http://bestdoncasterairporthotels.co.uk/category/travel
[edit] External links
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