Adapted from
Big Gay Ice Cream by Bryan Petroff and Doug Quint
This makes a big batch of sauce. But in case you’re not running an ice cream truck, feel free to cut it in half. It’s really wonderful spooned over – well, everything. Even spooned up right out of the bowl once it’s cooled down. For those who’d like to try it with another liquor, dark rum or another favorite could take it in a different direction. For those wanting to omit the alcohol, you can add a vanilla bean split lengthwise in addition to the vanilla extract. A splash more cream (or water) might be necessary at the end, to thin it out.
Sauces such as this tend to boil up, so although Doug used a large saucepan, I recommend a bigger pot, such as a Dutch oven. And watch it closely while it cooks. If it threatens to boil up and over, remove it from the heat and let it simmer down before continuing to cook it further.
Adding bourbon to very hot butterscotch may cause it to boil up so it’s best to wait until it’s cooled down a bit. And you don’t want to burn your tongue, so please be patient – although I know it’s hard. Serving and Storage: Serve warm over ice cream. The butterscotch sauce can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. Rewarm over low heat in a saucepan, stirring constantly.