Butterscotch Sauce

Skip the store-bought sauces and whip up a quick and easy recipe for Homemade Butterscotch Sauce. Sticky and deeply flavourful, this sauce is the perfect ice cream topping.

4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. large flaked salt
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (not non-stick) over medium heat.

Add the brown sugar, salt and heavy cream and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until it's well blended. Bring the mixture to a boil, scraping down the sides occasionally, and boil it for 4-5 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Transfer the butterscotch sauce to a container to cool.

Makes 1 cup.

Cook's Notes:
The butterscotch thickens significantly as it cools, so it's important to not over-boil it or you'll end up with chewy butterscotch caramels rather than a pourable sauce.

If you want to add a kick to your butterscotch sauce, stir in 1-2 Tbsp. of your choice liquor (think bourbon, whiskey or cognac) at the same time you stir in the vanilla extract.