A friend of mine recently whipped up some delicious butterscotch-chip cookies, and I started thinking about all the ways to enjoy this oft-forgotten flavor, from butterscotch pudding and schnapps to ice-cream sundae toppings and other desserts.

Most of us have tasted it, but what exactly is butterscotch? In the same sweet family as caramel or toffee, butterscotch is a confectionery produced by the heating and cooking of sugar. To make it, you heat brown sugar and butter until it bubbles, then you add heavy cream and vanilla extract. The process is similar to making toffee, but butterscotch is cooked to a lower temperature.

The origin of the word butterscotch is uncertain. According to Wikipedia, "scotch" may indicate that the ingredient comes from Scotland, or it could merely be a nod to the scorching process used to make it.

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