Raisin Sauce

We LOVE pancakes around the Myers house. We eat them at least once a week, sometimes more. I’m always looking for something to put on top of them – maple syrup is our favorite, but sometimes we like a switch up. So, I made this raisin sauce using pantry items and it was a total hit! Annie licked up every bite…..and so did her mama.

You’ll need sucanat, arrowroot powder, cinnamon, water, lemon juice, and raisins. If you don’t have arrowroot, you can substitute cornstarch. I’ve switched to using mostly arrowroot as a thickener since I found out that most corn in the U.S. is GMO. But that’s just a personal choice of mine. Also, arrowroot is great if you have a corn allergy. You can find it at any bulk food store for a great price.

In a small sauce pan, combine the sucanat, cinnamon, and arrowroot powder. We’re going to use our whisk again. By now you know I have a strange attachment to my whisk. I also have a strange attachment to bookmarks, but that’s neither here nor there.

In a measuring cup, combine the water and lemon juice. The lemon juice is going to help cut the sweet flavor just a bit so we won’t feel like we’re in a sweets coma. Fresh lemon juice would be great, but if you’re like me you don’t just keep lemons sitting around. If you don’t want that little bit of tartness, then just add water in place of the lemon juice.

Now, pour your liquid slowly into the dry ingredients, whisking the whole time. I usually pour a little bit in, and then whisk……and repeat those steps. I don’t usually pour in a continuous stream. I think it helps me avoid lumps that sometimes remain when I accidently pour too quickly.

Cook the mixture over LOW heat until it starts to thicken. It will take a while, about 15-20 minutes. You’ll want it to coat the back of a spoon, like this. Plus, it’s easy to lick it off the back of a spoon to taste. We must always taste the food before we present it to someone else…..we wouldn’t want to give someone something yucky to eat. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

When your sauce is the thickness you like, take it off the heat and stir in the raisins. I wanted mine to maintain a little chewiness and that’s why I didn’t cook them with the sauce. They tend to plump up when cooked and I feel like they get mushy….plus, when they’re plumped up they sorta look like big fat bugs in my food – and I ain’t cool with that.

Oh, do me a favor. Make sure to accidently slosh it over the side of the saucepan and cook it on the burner, causing smoke issues. It’s always good to test your fire alarm. This has been a public service announcement.

This is delicious! We served it over pancakes the first night and the leftovers were poured over Overnight Baked Oatmeal. To reheat, simply warm on the stove, adding water if you need to thin it. Sometimes these mixtures tend to get REALLY thick in the fridge.