A little taste of heaven

There's no better reason to have a go at a delightful butterscotch recipe than finding a carton of double cream about to expire in your fridge... :) That sort of removed any guilt that might have arisen when dishing out lots of cream, butter and sugar. It had to be used, right? It's not my fault that it just begged to be used on something so amazingly tasty as butterscotch sause? Right? Anyone? *grinning wildly*
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You can find the original recipe on Smitten Kitchen, but I've rewritten it for you using metric measurements. I always find it a little tricky to measure butter by the cup... Be aware that my recipe is also about double the size. I find it more convenient to not have half a carton of double cream left over, but it also makes for a whooole lot of butterscotch... :P
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You need:
150 g unsalted butter
3,3 dl (= ca 280 g) packed brown sugar
3,3 dl double cream
ca 1 ts flaky salt (or 1/2 ts of regular salt), or to taste
ca 4 ts vanilla extract, or to taste
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Melt the butter on medium heat. Add sugar, cream and salt. Stir while it all melts and blends together. Resist the urge to pour it in a cup and drink it right away.
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Let simmer carefully for about five minutes while stirring now and then. That's right, there's no need for a sugar thermometer or a cold water test to get it right. Just let it bubble away for those five minutes and rest assured that it will all be ok.

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Remove from heat, add vanilla extract and stir well. And this is where the magic happens. The strength of your salt and vanilla extract may differ from others, so don't skip this part. Fill a teaspoon with butterscotch and taste it - very carefully, as it's still very hot! Then add more salt or vanilla extract, or both, depending on taste and preference. Stir well and taste again. I usually end up adding a little bit of salt and a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract. The salt gives the butterscotch that unique zingy taste, and the vanilla is, well, pure vanilla heaven.

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I recommend letting the butterscotch cool to room temperature before serving. It's not really a must, but when hot it is very runny! If it is allowed too cool it becomes more viscous - in fact, if you leave it in the fridge for storage (and it must definitely be kept in the fridge for the week or two you can store it) it can become semi-solid. Just leave it on the counter for a while before serving, or heat it very slightly if you're the impatient type.
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When I read this post at Smitten Kitchen I knew I just had to try this. Anything that inspires such vivid and passionate writing has to be good, right? And let me tell you, she was not kidding. This sauce is amazing. Nothing I can write can do it justice, it's just that good. I want to sip it straight from the bottle. Not to mention how it tastes on ice cream! Yum. Or try it on fresh or baked fruit. Don't take my word for it, give it a try for yourself, it's incredibly simple. Now there's a new addiction for you (I mean me). :P And if you think you have more than enough, how about making it a gift? Just be sure to tell the recipients to consume it within a week or so. Enjoy!

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