Pancake Syrup

• 2 cups warm tap water
• 4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1-1/2 teaspoons maple flavoring
• 1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring (optional)

In a three-quart saucepan combine the water, sugar and molasses. Put the pan on the stove over medium heat. Stir every now and then until the syrup comes to a rolling boil. Watch the syrup carefully because it has a tendency to foam and will boil over if your pan is too small. If this starts to happen, remove the pan from the heat and turn the heat down. After the syrup boils, cover the pot and simmer it for ten minutes over a low flame. Do not stir it for this ten minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Take off the lid and let it cool on the counter for about 15 minutes. Stir in the maple flavoring (and butter flavoring if you’re using it). Store the syrup in a clean quart canning jar or a clean ketchup bottle (32 oz). I use a funnel to pour the syrup into the jar because the hot syrup can get a little messy. Be careful not to burn yourself.

This syrup is remarkably similar in flavor and texture to real maple syrup. It is thinner than commercial pancake syrups, but slightly thicker than real maple syrup. The taste is clean, simple and fresh. It does not linger in an envelope in your mouth the way some commercial syrups do.