Homemade April-Pancake Syrup

Find out today who is in the running to be...America's Next top Syrup.

Today I found only three recipes that I felt like trying, and decided to do another side by side because I would really like to make this from scratch like it's my job.

I ran out of maple flavoring in the middle of my quest to find the perfect syrup so I left my kitchen a disaster while my husband came home to the smell of pancakes and was sorrowful that there was none to be had.

Each recipe had these basic ingredients: sugar, water, maple flavoring and some added ingredients to include: brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and butter.  When I took this picture I had to make sure all the syrups were facing me and not looking around at other things.  LOSER.

Let's see how they did:

1.  Well, Butter my Biscuit:
In a saucepan bring the following things to a boil:
1 1/2 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C water
1/2 C lt. corn syrup
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 T vanilla and 1/2 T maple flavoring
If you like the taste of butter.  AND I DO.  Stir in 2 T butter.  Actual live butter.  It'll float to the top after it sits for a while but unlike chicken fat, you can eat it.

Verdict: We liked the strong flavors of maple and vanilla in this one, I love the butter flavor because it is hard to spread butter on cooled pancakes because you are burping your kid and cutting up fruit salad when they are done and can't eat them right away.  So this gives you the butter you need without the spreading issues.  You are still in the running to be America's Next Top Syrup.

2.  Plain Jane:
Put 2 C sugar in a bowl and pour 1 C boiling water over the top to dissolve.
Add 1-2 t maple.

Verdict: Sorry to the person who gave me this recipe but the sugar ended up in a big lump and was really grainy.  We gave it a fair try and stirred it up, warmed it up and tried it with a bite of waffles this morning but it ended up in the drain.  I'm sorry but you are no longer in the running to be America's Next Top Syrup.

3.  Trying to Make Things Difficult:
Put the following in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and boil on medium for 7 minutes.  I stirred it a lot.  Burnt sugar reminds me of Chemistry class with Mrs. Wilson.
3/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
3/4 C water
1/2 C lt. corn syrup

Stir 1/2 t maple flavoring and 1/2 t vanilla off the heat.
Cool for 15 minutes.

Verdict: This one had the best consistency and I think it was because you do that 7 minutes of boiling.  Very good flavor, a little thin on the flavors.  Congratulations, you are still in the running to be America's next Top Syrup.

Winner: The Combo
I'd take the first recipe and boil it for 7 minutes
Use only 1/2 C water to make it thicker-cause I like my syrup thick.
If I made the last one again-I'd up the flavorings to 1/2 T each instead of the t.
NOW HERE THIS: all the syrups thickened up as they set (I'd say a good 15-30 minutes) so if you are thinking of trying this the morning you eat breakfast, make this first to let it set.

Cost-zero because I had everything
Hippie Score-7.5


Here's where I get all genius on you.  I have 3 containers of hot fudge and now 2 containers of syrup in my fridge and am wondering how I am going to handle the crowd control once I get into salad dressings etc.  I'm about to amaze you.  Old creamer container!!!!!!!!  We rarely get creamers but I saved it for Eva to play with and she's going to have to play with rinsed out sour cream containers or something.  It's superb because it pours.

That's all.  I'm going out on the porch now to do my BSF while my husband does his reading for class.