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Oh yeah! When I was little, we used to freeze butterscotch pudding cups and they were so delicious. So when I saw this recipe for butterscotch ice cream those memories came back and I couldn’t wait to try it out. The butterscotch was pretty easy to make, all it is is brown sugar and butter with a bit of cream. You learn something new everyday. Once I had chilled my ingredients and they were ready to go in the ice cream machine I realized I lost a key part to my ice cream maker. Dang it! I searched the kitchen high and low and finally resigned myself to the fact that there was either going to be no ice cream or I was going to have to hand mix it. So a rolled up my sleeves and got to cranking. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but the results were worth the extra work.

The ice cream turned out out pretty good. The butterscotch flavor is very nice and works great with the creaminess of ice cream. However, I think I should have let the butterscotch cook for a few minutes longer to get a deeper flavor. I always get nervous when I cook things like butterscotch or caramel and think I’m going to burn it, but I always end up doing the opposite by undercooking it. Oh well… it’s still ice cream, and well, ice cream is delicious.

Butterscotch Ice Cream
via smitten kitchen via Sunset Magazine

Makes one quart

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons bourbon (optional)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half (light cream)
6 large egg yolks

1
In a 1- to 2-quart pan over medium heat, stir brown sugar and butter until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and mixture is bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup whipping cream until smooth; remove butterscotch mixture from heat. Add vanilla and bourbon, if using.
2
In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium-high heat, combine remaining 1 cup whipping cream and the half-and-half; bring to a simmer.
3
Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat egg yolks to blend. Whisk 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture into egg yolks, then pour egg yolk mixture into pan with cream. Stir constantly over low heat just until mixture is slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from heat
4
Pour through a fine strainer into a clean bowl and whisk in butterscotch mixture. Chill until cold, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours; or cover and chill up to 1 day.
5
Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve softly frozen, or transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week.