Buttermilk Syrup

Our family has started a weekend breakfast tradition.

It’s fairly surprising, actually, given my husband’s general apathy toward keeping traditions AND his venomous hatred for the morning…but on Saturdays, bright and early, when I holler up the stairs that pancakes or French toast are ready, he immediately appears and we have a special family breakfast!

Jake likes to help me cook. And set the table. And fetch Daddy. He’s a wonderful kitchen helper!

The only trouble with this delicious tradition is that I don’t actually care for maple syrup on my pancakes. For a while, this really made me resistant to Saturday morning breakfast tradition, until I realized that I had a grand opportunity to try all kinds of delicious syrups and spreads. What a great excuse to eat sugar for breakfast!

This buttermilk syrup is absolutely amazing. Don’t let the weird name (or the fact that it essentially looks like melted butter) throw you off: it is actually the simplest, most delicious liquid caramel you will ever make. The flavor is light and the syrup is thick and creamy. Pour it over your French toast with some butter and dig in! I dare you not to run your finger around the plate to lick up the excess when breakfast is over.

I would eat this syrup on anything (even plain toast…don’t judge me), but it’s really perfect for waffles or French toast because they can soak up a little more. Yum.

It takes about 5 minutes to make this syrup, but you do need to stir it constantly as the butter melts down, so it’s also ideal for waffles—while your waffles are on the griddle, step over to the stove and whisk this syrup!

Combine butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a large (trust me) saucepan over medium heat. I definitely recommend salted butter, because the salt helps to cut the sweetness of the caramel. If you use unsalted butter, don’t forget to add ¼ tsp. salt to the pan.

As the butter melts, whisk constantly, bringing the mixture up to a boil. Boil for 20 seconds.

Stir in vanilla extract and baking soda. At this point, the syrup will foam up incredibly. And it’s done!

Pour it into a measuring cup or other spouted container.

Feel free to drench your breakfast in caramel sauce. Yum.

Buttermilk Syrup

lightly adapted from White on Rice Couple
makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
¾ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking soda

Directions:
Boil together butter, buttermilk, and sugar, whisking constantly.
Stir in vanilla and baking soda. The syrup will foam up at this point, signaling that it is done.
Stir until most of the foam subsides, then pour into a spouted serving cup.

Enjoy!

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