Say what?
Birch syrup?
Yeah, you betcha! This little beauty from north of the border is a nice option, just mebbe not for pancakes.
Friends ordered a few bottles for me from Canadian Birch Company, because we enjoy a bit of Cod Roasted in Birch Syrup, but it turns out it also works a treat on cherries. Slightly spicy cherries at that.
INGREDIENTS
•4 cups of fresh or thawed frozen cherries (pitted)
•3 Tbsp Gold Birch Syrup
•1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
•1-1/2 tbsp orange zest
Heat your oven to 350º.
Note: if you can, use a glass 13×9 baking dish, if not, line your 13×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine the cherries with the remaining ingredients (trust me on the Cayenne), and arrange in a single layer in your baking pan.
Give ’em all a stir, then bake (uncovered) for 15 minutes.
Pull the cherries out of the oven, and, if you are happy with their look and texture, set ’em aside to cool.
I gave mine another good stir and popped ’em back into the oven for another 15 minutes or so.
Lovely.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before transferring to a large jar and stashing in the fridge until needed.
These were perfection over a Burnt Basque Cheesecake topped with whipped cream.