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If you love those Butterscotch Squares from your favorite candy shop…this recipe is for you! It’s a copycat recipe – a soft brown sugar candy covered in chocolate. The perfect candy recipe!
I’ve mentioned before about my See’s Candy addiction. Growing up, a pound lasted less than a day. The chocolate factory is in my hometown, so that whenever I smell the inside of See’s store, I think I’m home.
If I had to pick one kind of See’s Candy to eat for the rest of my life it would be the Butterscotch Square (or the maple truffles). There would be no deliberation, hesitation, or hemming and hawing.Butterscotch Squares: they’re my favorite!
The boxes of See’s we’d get when I was a kid came with one butterscotch square. And it was mine – always. Everyone knew to back away from the square. My mom got the divinity, my dad the bordeaux. Me? I got the butterscotch square.
Of course, in true Dorothy fashion (and since I didn’t know the name for the longest time), called them brown sugar squares. I’d polish it off and then tell everyone I knew how much I hated butterscotch. Yes, I’ve learned the error of my ways. Butterscotch and me, we’re BFFs. And now I’ve made a copy cat of my favorite candy. So you can make it at home.
Ingredients Needed
The base of the recipe is a cooked mixture of unsalted butter, brown sugar and heavy whipping cream. When that trifecta boils together, you get a rich butterscotch candy.
Have you ever heard of penuche? This recipe is very similar to penuche candy/fudge. The difference is the amount of powdered sugar used at the end.
How to make Butterscotch Squares
I did a lot of searching online for a copycat recipe and kept coming up with the same base recipe (some with just a few changes or additions) over and over. I finally traced it back to the oldest one I could find, but I’m not sure where that one came from.
I do recommend using a candy thermometer for this recipe. The recipe I used as a guideline just gave times, and the first time I made this it really did not turn out. The candy has to cook to 236°F for it to set up properly and it’s too hard to gauge that without a thermometer.
Once the candy is cooked you let it set in a 9-inch square pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Once it’s set you cut it into 64 squares and coat them with chocolate.
Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Place brown sugar, cream, and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until melted. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low and place a candy thermometer in the pot.
Stir occasionally and simmer until the mixture reaches 236º, about 7-8 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Whisk in powdered sugar. Pour into prepared pan and allow to set at room temperature (a few hours, but this can be done the day ahead).
When ready to cut, remove from pan. Use a large kitchen knife and cut the square into quarters. From here, use small cuts to cut them into small squares (about 16 squares per quarter).
Melt chocolate according to package directions and dip each square, tapping off excess. Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and chill to set.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Be sure to use small but swift cuts. The candy can be fragile and is prone to flaking and breaking, so a quick cut will make the candy stay together.
Read my post about dipping chocolate easily for tips.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
You can freeze the candy, but know the chocolate might dull when defrosted.
Butterscotch, on the other hand, is made with brown sugar instead. Butterscotch originally was just a hard candy. The suffix “scotch” is not related to alcohol, but to the method of cutting. Hard candy is difficult to break into clean pieces, so the candy is “scotched” (scored) to make it easy to cut later.
Alas, it turns out that butterscotch, traditionally a mixture of brown sugar and butter, never did contain Scotch. While there is no definitive etymology of the word, theories range from scotch being a corruption of the word “scorch,” to the possibility that the candy came from Scotland (this one is dubious).
The term “butterscotch” is thought to originate from the confection's primary ingredients – butter and the process of “scotching,” which in this context means to cut or score. The “butter” part of the name straightforwardly refers to one of the key components of the sweet.
Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter. Some recipes include corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th century Yorkshire, used treacle (molasses) in place of, or in addition to, sugar.
Butterscotch is claimed to have been first named in 1817 in Doncaster, England by Samuel Parkinson. He had begun making the candy earlier under the name of buttery brittle toffee. The company that produced the candy received the Royal Seal of Approval for their highly demanded export.
Butterscotch is butter and brown sugar that has been slowly heated together to create a soft-crack candy. Just like caramel, the brown sugar molecules break down and, thanks to the addition of molasses in the sugar, caramelize into a richer, deeper flavor than classic caramel.
One misnomer is certain, however: that butterscotch contains any trace amounts of scotch or alcohol. Nearly all past and current recipes do not contain any Scotch whisky (unless the recipe is enhanced by adventurous cooks for their personal preference!).
See's uses the finest roasted California almonds, drenching them in our signature milk chocolate. It may sound simple, but when you start with the finest fresh ingredients, something deliciously special will follow.
All of our chocolate is aged for a richer, smoother taste. Bordeaux™ is our most popular flavor! Oh Lollypop! See's Lollypops and Little Pops® are made in a special nut-free facility, including all our seasonal flavors.
See's core values of taste, quality, tradition and service were named as the basis of its success—values that were instilled by Mary See herself. For over 100 years, See's Candies has been dedicated to making candy Mary See's way—helping to make the world a sweeter place, one piece of candy at a time.
Similar to caramel, butterscotch is made by heating sugar. The main difference between the two is that butterscotch uses brown sugar instead of white. The ingredients are also combined in a slightly different order for butterscotch: your start out by melting butter with brown sugar.
The main difference between caramel and butterscotch is that caramel is made by heating white, granulated sugar to various stages, while butterscotch is made with brown sugar and butter, which gives it a deeper, more rounded flavor, thanks to the butter and molasses.
Also, it doesn't raise blood sugar levels and is easy on the digestive system. Many people feel that butterscotch can improve the appearance of their skin if they eat it or use it as a face mask, as butter is one of the primary ingredients. It may come as a surprise, but butterscotch can assist those with asthma.
Both also contain butter and cream. Otherwise, they are made the same way with the same ingredients. Contrary to popular opinion, butterscotch does not necessarily contain scotch, though it often has vanilla extract, salt, and other flavors added, as does caramel.
This creamy pudding, thickened with cornstarch and egg yolks and stirred together on the stove, is as homey as it gets. Spiking the mixture with a little bourbon or Scotch isn't strictly traditional, but it does add a pop of flavor.
It's also rather easy to make your own butterscotch schnapps using a brandy or vodka base. This can be done by using butter, brown sugar, and light corn syrup to make a caramel sauce, letting that cool, then adding it to a bottle of liquor. Some recipes add glycerine for smoothness and vanilla extract for extra flavor.
butterscotch, usually hard candy made by boiling brown sugar and butter and sometimes corn syrup together in water. The derivation of the name is disputed as to whether it denotes the candy's origin in Scotland or an original ingredient of “scotched,” or scorched, butter.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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