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Butterscotch Chews
Butterscotch Chews are made with brown sugar and butter to produce a rich, chewy candy that has the classic taste of butterscotch with a firm caramel texture. I like to cover these with a coating of dark chocolate, but you can omit this step if you desire.
Makes: 28 approximately
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla esstance
1lb chocolate or chocolate chips (optional)
Method
- Prepare an 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the sugars, vinegar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the sugars dissolve, then insert a candy thermometer. Cook the candy without stirring until it reaches 245 on the thermometer.
- Once the candy reaches 245, add the butter and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches 255 degrees.
- Remove the pan from the heat immediately and add the vanilla, stirring until it is well-incorporated. Pour the candy into the prepared pan and allow it to set, preferably overnight at room temperature. If you need to speed up the process, the candy can be refrigerated until it is set, about 4 hours.
- Once the candy is set, pull it out of the pan using the foil as handles, and place it face-down on a cutting board. Peel the foil off the back of the candy block, and use a large sharp knife to cut the candy into small one-inch squares. At this point, you can choose to dip your chews in chocolate or leave them plain. If you don’t dip them, I recommend wrapping each piece in cellophane or waxed paper so that they don’t become sticky.
- To dip them in chocolate, place the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate in one-minute intervals until melted, stirring after each minute to prevent overheating. Cover a baking sheet or large plate with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Using dipping tools or two forks, dip a square into the chocolate until it is full immersed. Bring it up out of the chocolate and drag the bottom against the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Place the dipped candy on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining butterscotch chews and chocolate.
- Refrigerate the chews to set the chocolate for 20 minutes. They will be very hard out of the refrigerator, so let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Store plain, wrapped chews in an airtight container at room temperature, and store chocolate-dipped chews in the refrigerator for up to a week.
