Drambuie Butterscotch Sauce

I made a simple but rich sauce recently, because I wanted something more enticing than just plain ol' ice cream.  Since it wasn't accompanying anything - cake, pie, etc. - the ice cream needed a little bit of dressing up.

I didn't have any chocolate in the house, for some inconceivable reason; but I was in the mood for a change from that routine anyway.  Butterscotch was calling to me ... fairly loudly, too.  I had brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and half-and-half.  I even had corn syrup - not an ingredient I want in my peanut butter or any other of the myriad foods it sneaks into, but one which contributes to the right consistency in this recipe.  I was all set.

And then I had a flash of brilliance: Drambuie, a liqueur made with whiskey, honey, and spices.  A little splash of Drambuie would make this such a sophisticated treat!

Put the ingredients in a saucepan, boil, chill - that's it!  So this sauce is ideal if you get short notice about company coming over, or if you just have a craving for something a little special.

This sauce didn't even need the ice cream ... just a spoon is all that's required.

Drambuie Butterscotch Sauce

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup Drambuie
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup half-and-half

Bring sugar, corn syrup, and Drambuie to a boil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan; stir constantly and cook for 5 minutes; mixture will foam up.  Remove from heat, then stir in butter and vanilla.  Stir in half-and-half; mixture will clump a bit, then everything will combine and smooth out.

Place into a jar, cover, and refrigerate until cold; the sauce will thicken.  Can be warmed up slightly to serve over ice cream, cake, fruit ... whatever strikes your fancy.

Makes about 1 cup.

Neeps 'n' Tatties with Drambuie Sauce for Robbie Burns Day

Last year, my Robbie Burns Day post about Scottish Oatmeal Shortbread was selected as one of the "Best of the Blogs" for January 25, 2011 by the prestigious Food News Journal - a huge thrill!  That's a hard act to follow, I have to admit.  But I think I may have done it today with this traditional dish - Neeps 'n' Tatties.

"Neeps" are turnips and "tatties" are potatoes.  Boil 'em, mash 'em ... good, simple, hearty fare for a bitter winter's day.  To translate, so to speak, what Robert Burns - the national poet of Scotland, born on January 25, 1759 - wrote in Up in the Early Morning, "Cold blows the wind from east to west."  Warmth and comfort are what we seek these days.

But why not dress up this basic dish with a bit of glam from Drambuie, "A secret elixir of herbs, spices and heather honey, crafted with aged Scotch whiskies"?  Why make a boring gravy with broth if I could celebrate my heritage - one-quarter Scottish, and my maternal grandmother was proud to be descended from the Rob Roy MacGregors - with a more flavorful addition?  The Drambuie's sweetness is a nice balance to the sharpness of the turnips; and potatoes, of course, are perfect with virtually any gravy.

Robbie Burns is usually honored on his birthday with Burns Suppers featuring the dreaded haggis - sheep innards (heart, liver, lungs) mixed with oats, onions, and spices and then cooked in a sheep's stomach.  Even if I could find all of the ingredients, I can assure you I have no interest in serving anything this authentic for the celebration!

But neeps 'n' tatties is not only fun to say, it's a delicious dish to eat since "I'm sure it's winter fairly."


Up in the Early Morning (1788)


Cauld blaws the wind frae east to west,
The drift is driving sairly;
Sae loud and shill's I hear the blast-
I'm sure it's winter fairly.

Up in the morning's no for me,
Up in the morning early;
When a' the hills are covered wi' snaw,
I'm sure it's winter fairly.

The birds sit chittering in the thorn,
A' day they fare but sparely;
And lang's the night frae e'en to morn-
I'm sure it's winter fairly.


Neeps 'n' Tatties with Drambuie Sauce

Potatoes:
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
pinches of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fill a medium saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil.  Add the potatoes; boil for 10-15 minutes, until tender.  Drain the potatoes and mash with the butter, milk, salt and pepper.  Place onto a serving dish.


Turnips:
1 pound turnips, peeled, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons milk
pinches of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Fill a medium saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil.  Add the turnips; boil for 5 minutes, until tender.  Drain the turnips and mash with the butter, milk, salt and pepper; place onto a serving dish.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
pinch of kosher salt
1/3 cup Drambuie
3/4 cup milk


In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; whisk in the flour and salt, then cook for 1 minute.  Slowly add the Drambuie and the milk, whisking until smooth.  Cook for 5 minutes over low heat.


Serve the Drambuie sauce over the neeps 'n' tatties.


Serves 6-8 as a side dish.