Butterscotch Shortbread

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Butterscotch Shortbread is a simple shortbread recipe made with brown sugar instead of white sugar, resulting in a great butterscotch flavor!

February 15th is National “I Want Butterscotch” Day! Naturally, you must celebrate by eating everything butterscotch. It’s easy enough to order a butterscotch sundae, bake oatmeal scotchies, suck on some hard butterscotch candy or make this super simple butterscotch shortbread (a slight twist on classic shortbread)!

Share your butterscotch creation on social media today using the hashtags “#NationalIWantButterscotchDay, #ButterscotchDay, #IWantButterscotch and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my February Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of February!

“Rodeo Drive is a giant butterscotch sundae.”

-Andy Warhol

The History of Butterscotch:

Butterscotch is made with the primary ingredients of brown sugar and butter. The earliest known recipes in mid 19th century Yorkshire used molasses in place of (or in addition to) sugar.

Butterscotch can be traced back to Doncaster (Yorkshire, England). It’s credited to Samuel Parkinson, a confectioner who began making it as a hard candy in 1817. He originally created and marketed it at “buttery brittle toffee.” Tins of butterscotch were given to and enjoyed by Queen Victoria in 1851.

How did butterscotch get its name? Some say that it may have come from the word, “scorched.” Others say it has Scottish origins.

Ingredients needed:

• unsalted butter
• brown sugar
• white sugar
• all purpose flour
• salt
• flaky sea salt (optional)

How to make Butterscotch Shortbread:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars. Stir in the flour and salt until mixed in completely.
3. On a lightly floured cloth-covered board, roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into small shapes (squares would be great).
4. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Shortbread is a pretty amazing, simple dessert. Made with just a few ingredients, the buttery flavor will have you drooling.

The butterscotch flavor in this shortbread is nothing short of delicious. These are a beautiful sweet treat to keep on hand to munch on while sipping coffee or tea, and they’re a nice dessert to display at a party or holiday celebration too. Enjoy!

Fun Facts about Butterscotch:

• Butterscotch can be found as a dessert sauce, in cookies, chips, hard candy, pudding, liqueur and other things.
• There is no Scotch in butterscotch!
• The difference between butterscotch and caramel is that butterscotch is made with brown sugar and caramel is made with white sugar.
• Babies and puppies have been named “butterscotch!”
• Harry Potter’s Butterbeer (a butterscotch-flavored beverage) is served at the Wizarding World theme park at Universal Studios.
• Butterscotch is the most popular flavor of lollipop sold by Sees Candies.
• Butterscotch was a Chrysler car color between 1969 and 1971.