My son loves waffles (and which kid doesn’t?), but I’m never comfortable with any store-bought syrup. No matter how “organic” or “natural” they claim to be, it’s hard to hide the fact that it’s just pure sugar, and sometimes, it’s the most weaponized of all sugars, high-fructose corn syrup. I always believed there must be an alternative that isn’t as “sugary”, and more natural than some packaged product, and then I realized…One day, as I was pulling heavy cream out of the refrigerator, I saw half a package of blueberries that had been sitting there for a few days, and I thought to myself, “Somebody better eat these blueberries soon before they go bad.”, and that’s when it hit me…the restaurant I once worked at used to make raspberry sauce all the time and I should use these blueberries to make blueberry sauce. Now “berry” sauce is on constant rotation in our household.
It’s quite a simple recipe, and it’ll take twenty minutes from start to finish, and in my opinion, it’s a far healthier choice than any store-bought syrup. The sugar content per serving is small so you won’t get the glucose/insulin response that comes with regular syrup, you will get the anti-oxidant benefits that berries have to offer and is equally delicious to store-bought syrup; and not to mention that berries are a source of resveratrol; a substance that is becoming known to aid in anti-aging and longevity. So, for you keto nuts out there, even though this recipe has sugar in it, the amounts are tiny per serving, and the benefits of the other ingredients outweigh the small sugar content.
For this recipe you will need:
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces fresh blueberry puree
- 3 ounces of dry red wine (anything not considered dessert wine will do)
- 2 ounces (by weight) of sugar (less than 1/4 cup)
RECIPE
First, wash and lightly pat dry the blueberries before pureeing. The amount of whole blueberries may vary to yield 8 ounces of puree, but it’s usually about 10 to 12 ounces of whole blueberries.
To puree the blueberries, I enjoy using an immersion blender (a.k.a. stick blender or boat-motor blender). I have been using the Cuisinart Smart Stick Blender, and I am very happy with it. If you don’t have an immersion blender, a regular blender will work just fine.
Once you have your blueberry puree, combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
After simmering, pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl or 2 cup pyrex measuring cup. Be sure to press remaining mixture sitting in the strainer to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Once strained, allow mixture to cool.
While cooling, occasionally stir the mixture. Once cooled, pour the mixture into a squeeze bottle, and refrigerate over night. The next morning it will be ready for use. Drizzle over your favorite pancakes, gluten-free waffle, or keto-friendly crepe.
The great thing about a sauce like this is its versatility. It can be used with your favorite savory breakfast pastry or as a complimentary addition to your favorite deserts like crème brûlée or cheesecake. You can also substitute blueberries with other berries like raspberries or strawberries.