Blackberry Maple Syrup

The pretty berry color "stains" the yogurt dolloped on buttermilk waffles.

The trees are tapped, the syrup is boiled down and a new batch of maple syrup is ready.  Maple syrup is an acquired taste, I’m told.  Raised on maple sugar candy I wouldn’t know.  It is one of life’s primal flavors for me. Just a teaspoon turns oatmeal, yogurt and well, pancakes and waffles into pure comfort food.  A few drops in the cavity of an acorn squash or in baked beans are more savory uses. (Add a little to canned baked beans with a touch of mustard to freshen up the flavor.)

For those who were not weaned on this northern nectar, the taste can be a bit strong.  This is especially true for those who’ve been served maple-flavored or some unknown-flavor pancake syrup.  We stumbled on a great way to get just a touch of maple on our waffles and lighten it up with fruit. 

In the microwave, warm up a cup of fresh blackberries with a tablespoon of maple syrup and dress your waffles with the warm fruit.  Leftover fruit can steep in a few ounces of maple syrup to yield an even more intense berry syrup in about a day.

Raspberries or strawberries are good this way too.  Blueberries get a little overwhelmed but if you love them, try these too.  You can even use frozen berries. 

Happy Spring.