Rosie Makes Golden Syrup, Pancakes, And Waffles.

I have just the thing for your breakfast this weekend.  Golden Syrup with your pancakes and/or waffles.  And I've got a perfect pancake/waffle batter recipe for you.

I have a Facebook friend in Australia (Rosie waves wildly to Kerry Hancock!) and she and I have shared an expensive postal relationship.  First I sent her Outer Banks Sea Salt, then she sent me pink Murray River Sea Flakes, Vegemite, and CSR Golden Syrup.  CSR stands for "Colonial Sugar Refining Company."

As to Australian sugar, it goes back to the early stages of Australian colonization.  Colonists recognized the need for a local source of sugar, so they planted sugar cane, set up mills, and started the original refinery in Sydney in 1855. 

The Hawthorne menfolk were quite intrigued with the Golden Syrup and actually prefer it on their pancakes and waffles rather than their usual maple syrup.  I don't like the chemical-laden artificial pancake syrups and don't bother with them.  It's real maple syrup for me, but ...

I couldn't forget that Golden Syrup.

So I set out to recreate it.

 
The sugar I'm using is Organic Sugar Florida Crystals Pure Cane.

Now, I'm sure you're asking yourself, "What's the difference between regular sugar and cane sugar?"  Pure cane sugar is milled out of sugarcane and only sugarcane.  Our "regular sugar" is a product of both sugarcane and beets.

Pure Sugar VS Regular Sugar:

• Most people think pure sugar tastes better than regular.  Beets can "contaminate" the taste of sugar.
• It performs better in certain recipes.  I don't think I'd be able to recognize that.
• People like it for its aesthetics.  Pretty granules.

 Next time I might try using Turbinado sugar.













Golden Syrup
Makes 1 pint.

3.5 oz. cane sugar
3 TB water

 In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, twirl the sugar and water and caramelize the sugar until a golden color.

10.6 oz. boiling water
17.6 oz. cane sugar
1 lemon slice

Carefully add in the boiling water, then the rest of the sugar.  Whisk to dissolve.  Add lemon wedge and simmer 45 minutes.  The lemon keeps it from caramelizing any more and prevents sugar crystal from forming.  Remove after cooking.

Strain into jar.
If it gets to thick for you, simply nuke it for a few seconds and it thins out.
Use on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, as a marinade.  All sorts of uses.

Starting out.

Simmer, whisking.

Starting to change color.

Getting closer.

Ah...  That's the color I want.

Add in sugar and boiling water.

Add in the lemon slice and keep it at a bare simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain.

Hmmm.  Colors look the same.
Taste test.  Damn close.  I could tell on a blind taste test that mine had more of a molasses thing going on, but all the other flavors were spot on.  Mine was a little thicker, but if you want, thin it out with a little boiling water or nuke it a bit.

Now that I've made the syrup, I have the perfect pancake/waffle recipe for you.

 

Sometimes, you just have to have pancakes.

Nothing else will do.

Over the years,

I've experimented with pancake batters

and I really like this one.

It's now my go-to batter for pancakes and waffles.

Pancake/Waffle Batter 

1 cup flour

1 TB sugar

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 stick (4 TB) unsalted butter, melted

Whisk together dry ingredients.

In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.

Slowly stir liquid mixture into dry mixture.

Gently stir in butter.

You want lumpy.

Let rest 5 minutes before cooking.

 

Lumpy batter.

That's what you want.
 
 

I like to leave my waffles in about a minute or two

longer than when the light goes out on my waffle machine.

I like my waffles on the crisp side.

Thanks again to my "Down Under" friend,  Kerry Hancock, for sending me a sample of this truly golden syrup.