Praline Syrup

This is another recipe I recently found that is decadently delicious. Like the Chocolate Raspberry Sundae Topper of another post, it comes from that Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (buy this book!). I am certain that if you are not a canner you could make this up and freeze it (well, provided you had the freezer space) if you didn't decide to eat it all up right away on everything from oatmeal to ice cream. I have made it with both dark and light syrups, and the light is luscious. The dark is sinful. Angels weep. It's good stuff.

Praline Syrup

Makes about four 8-ounce jars

2 cups dark corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla

Step 1: Prepare your canner, jars, and lids.
Step 2: In a stainless steel saucepan, combine corn syrup, water, and sugar. Heat this over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 full minute. Reduce heat and stir in pecans and vanilla. Boil gently, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Ladle hot syrup into jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar and screw the band on tight.
Step 4: Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, remove the jars, and then cool and store.

Chocolate Raspberry Sundae Topper

I've been doing a lot of canning lately, some to use up a bountiful harvest, some to try new things. This find was absolutely divine. I made it with boysenberries instead of raspberries since that's what I had on hand, but whoever you are, you need to try this recipe. It's on the thick side (don't expect Hershey's in a squeezy bottle type topping) which only makes it that much better since you can put it between layers of cake, put it into truffles, eat it right off the spoon...

This recipe comes from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving which I would highly recommend to anyone interested in putting up any kind of preserved foodstuff.

Chocolate Raspberry Sundae Topper

Makes about six 8-ounce jars

1/2 cup sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder
1 package regular powdered fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups crushed red raspberries
4 TBSP lemon juice
6 3/4 cups granulated sugar

Step 1: Prepare your canner, jars, and lids.
Step 2: In a medium glass bowl, combine your cocoa powder and pectin, stirring until it is evenly blended and then set aside. (Why it must be glass I don't know, but that's what it says.)
Step 3: In a large, stainless steel saucepan, place your crushed berries and juice. Whisk in the pectin-cocoa mixture until it is dissolved. Bring this to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Once it boils, dump all your sugar in at once and then return it to a full, rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly, and then remove it from the heat and skim the foam.
Step 4: Ladle hot topper into your prepared jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove the air bubbles and adjust the headspace if necessary by adding more topper. Wipe the rim, center the lid on the jar, screw the band until you get resistance and then tighten it up.
Step 5: Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove the canner lid, wait 5 minutes (this will prevent the jars from siphoning), then remove the jars, cool, and store.