When she has the kitchen all to herself, Phyllis Grant of Dash and Bella cooks beautiful iterations of what solo meals were always meant to be: exactly what you want, when and where you want them.
Today: A comforting butterscotch sauce for when you don't feel like following the rules -- and for every cake, crêpe, and bowl of ice cream you make from here on out.
We have a few hard and fast rules in our kitchen. You sit at the table to eat. Your napkin goes in your lap. No elbows on the table. Chew with your mouth closed. Keep the volume down. Don't double dip.
This way, my loves, if the Queen comes to visit, we'll be quite prepared. She likes things to be proper, you know.
What queen, mom? From what country?
Oh. Any queen. From any country.
My friends do the same rigmarole, but they've brought it a bit more up-to-date by telling their children that they're learning the rules just in case there is a surprise visit from the Obamas. Adjust accordingly.
The part I don't tell them is that if the Queen came to visit during the day, while they were off at school, she would find me sitting on the kitchen counter, double triple quadruple dipping my way through a jar of homemade butterscotch sauce.
Makes a little over 1 1/2 cups
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1 1/2 cups light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, halved, seeds scraped out
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
See the full recipe (and save it and print it) here.
Photos by Phyllis Grant
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