Butterscotch is that delicious, buttery, more-flavorful-than-caramel taste that flavors dessert sauces and hard candy. It is also a color.

Most people know butterscotch from the hard candy drops available in stores everywhere. One candy company produces a “butter rum” flavor which is similar. Even though no alcohol is present in butterscotch, it tends to have a sort of liquor-ish flavor that is probably due to the heated sugar. Its history originates in England and the “scotch” part of the name may be derived from the word “scorch,” since the sugar is heated to a fairly high temperature.

Butterscotch candy can be made at home by combining sugar, corn syrup, water and vinegar and heating it to hard crack stage. This is 300° Fahrenheit or 149° Celsius. The candy is then dropped by teaspoonfuls on a buttered cookie sheet and allowed to cool. The result is old-fashioned butterscotch candy.

Along with hot fudge, butterscotch is a popular dessert sauce and ice cream topping. A home recipe includes dark brown sugar, light corn syrup, butter, heavy cream, milk and cornstarch. The mixture is cooked until it thickens into a syrup. It does not harden like candy, of course, and is used on ice cream, over fruit and for other sweet treats.

Brownies, cookies and cakes may also have a butterscotch flavor, and butterscotch frosting is popular, as well. Butterscotch “chips” - like chocolate chips - are available everywhere and used in recipes from brownies to fudge. Butterscotch is even a popular pudding flavor. Recipes for butterscotch goodies are available in cookbooks, on the backs of mix boxes and on the Internet. One particularly good source for butterscotch recipes is recipesource.com.

Sometimes, something is referred to as a being a butterscotch color. This usually means a tawny sort of yellow — not quite light brown, but not true yellow, either. Horses may be a butterscotch color, for instance.

Butterscotch may not be quite as popular for desserts as chocolate, but it is always a sweet change of pace. With the variety of recipes available, any cook can incorporate butterscotch into something delicious.