Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ice outside, French Toast inside... with Homemade Syrup

We had a big snow and ice storm come through Friday night and Saturday.  Our town got mostly ice (2" total accumulation), but just a couple of miles away, our friends got 4" of mostly snow.  Everything froze solid last night, with the very low temps.  Church was canceled, so this morning we slept in and made French Toast for breakfast.

Last week I discovered Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread by Pepperidge Farm.  I love cinnamon raisin bread and I'm sure it's not healthy, but at least being 100% Whole Wheat makes me feel a little bit better about eating it!  We decided to use this to make our french toast. 

I realized upon waking up that we didn't have any syrup left, so I whipped up a new kind.  It was fabulous, and I'm sure healthier than your typical syrup.

Strawberry-Blackberry Syrup (measurements approximate)

2 cups of frozen whole strawberries (mine were left from picking them at the farm last season)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup seedless blackberry preserves (I used Dickinson's)
1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch

Start by putting the strawberries in a non-stick pan and turning the heat up relatively high.  As they start to defrost, add the lemon juice.  Allow time for the strawberries to break down, breaking them up with your spoon or stirring utensil.  I use a flat bamboo utensil (like a wooden spoon except it's flat rather than spoon shaped.

Once the strawberries are mostly defrosted and broken down, add the preserves.  Mix in until liquified.  Add the cornstarch and whisk until blended.  Allow the moisture to boil for a minute or two, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

You can leave the mixture chunky, but I chose to put it in the food processor and pulse until the strawberries were completely blended in. 

This was a great alternative to syrup, it was very tasty, and much less sugar than your typical syrup, but plenty of sweetness to satisfy your palate.  And I'm sure a serving of fruit for the day!

Happy snow days!

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