Butter Beer! aka Butterscotch Soda

When it comes to store bough candy I don't care for many of them. For most candy bars the chocolate coatings tastes like wax, and the fillings are so processed  I cringe when I look at the labels. For all my food prejudices, caramels never take a bullet. No matter what they are made of I love them dearly. Part of it, I'm sure, must be a bit of childhood nostalgia for Werther's Originals. I love them then, and can't seem to kick the habit now.

I've been doing some recipe creation for an online bridal magazine and they requested an attempt at a butter yellow soda. To be closer to butter yellow I could have used other candies, but when I heard butter I thought of butterscotch, and then caramels and of course that meant walking to the CVS next to my office to buy a band of cheap candy. Darn you, nostalgia, you will be the death of my diet.

That poor little bag of caramel didn't know what was coming. The full bag made it's way into a food processor, and was ground into a fine powder, then thrown into boiling water to make a delicious butter caramel syrup. (Frankly, I think this would make a good harry potter butterbeer as well).

The end result is a soda that tastes just like the candies...which I consider a great thing! I don't mind saying I kicked a few back, and the reason that bottle up there is alone, and only half full is that I didn't want to stop drinking the soda long enough to photograph it. I really love my caramels.

I hope you enjoy this soda. I'm on vacation this week in California. Hooray! Ten day trip full of good friends and good food! I've stocked up a few recipes to post while I'm gone. I may be on vacation but I'm a still a food addict.

Cheers! (and fake butterbeers!)

Caramel Soda

1 cup caramel hard candies, ground into a powder (not one cup of powder)
1 cup water
club soda

Boil together the water and hard candy powder for a few minutes until just combined into a syrup. Allow to cool, stir frequently.

Add one part caramel syrup to two parts club soda. You may have to shake a wee bit to combine.

Enjoy!

Butterbeer Ice Cream Sandwiches

For the big debut of the latest Harry Potter I made an ice cream sandwich inspired by butterbeer, which is said to taste like butterscotch and short bread cookies!

One line reminder to vote for my entry in the California Raisin Let's re-Do Lunch Competition! Vote Daily!

Anybody else a little tired this morning? I AM DEAD! Because of COURSE I went to see the Harry Potter Premier last night! Yes, I am just barely in the age group that grew up with Harry Potter. The first movie came out my senior year of high school....and two college degrees later.....we're on the seventh movie! Crazy!

Okay, so my youth is totally showing. But you can't deny it. Harry Potter is HUGE! Which means there has got to be at least one Harry Potter fan that you're friends with and they'll love your for making them a bit of butterbeer or butterbeer ice cream sandwiches!

Not only did I make butterbeer this week, but when I read that butterbeer is supposed to taste like shortbread cookies and butterscotch....well, it was an easy call to make: butterscotch  shortbread cookies ice cream sandwiches! and yes, I ate them for breakfast this morning before running off to an 8:30 staff meeting. I really have a problem with eating ice cream sandwiches for breakfast when I'm running late!

Butterbeer Ice Cream Sandwiches

(butterscotch shortbread cookie sandwiches)

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoons butter

1/2 tablespoons vanilla

2 1/4 cups cream, divided

1 cup milk

3 egg yolks

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until butter is melted, sugar dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling. Stir in 1/4 cup of cream and continue to stir until mixed thoroughly. Remove butterscotch mixture from heat and allow to cool. 

In a stand mixer combine the egg yolks and butterscotch mixture.  Beat for one minute, then mix in the milk and cream gradually.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker. Allow the ice cream to churn until finished and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Shortbread Cookies

2 cups unsalted butter, unsalted
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter powdered sugar, and vanilla  in a large bowl. If the dough is too crumbly add another 2 tablespoons of butter.

Roll dough out to half an inch thick and cut into small shapes using cookie cutters, or into squares using a knife. Place the cookies one inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 14-15 minutes or until set, and the bottoms are a light golden brown. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

To Assemble the Ice Cream Sandwiches:

Place a scoop full of ice cream on an upside down cookie. Using a second cookie press down on top of the scoop of ice cream to form a sandwich. 

Place in the freezer to freeze until fully hardened. I pressed butterscotch chips into the sides of mine. Their optional but add a delightful touch of whimsy. 

Enjoy!