Hot Strawberry Waffle Topping

 Sunday morning breakfast was waffles. Buttermilk waffles. Buttermilk waffles with hot strawberry preserves. Buttermilk waffles with hot strawberry preserves, sausage, and a vanilla latte. 

My waffle recipe of the day was straight out of the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook that I have quite literally loved to pieces.

It was not a  fancy waffle recipe--buttermilk, flour, eggs, melted butter, baking soda--but I made up for the un-fancy recipe by using a fancy crystal dish for serving my topping.

The strawberry topping is easier than the waffles, and can cook while doing the rest of the waffle prep (whisking egg whites, melting butter, heating the pan).  It is a good way to use up strawberries that are just on the squishy edge of ripe.

If you have ever canned homemade jam, you might recognize the recipe below. There's no added pectin and no boiling water baths, but really, I just made preserves. If you make extra, keep the leftovers in the fridge or the freeze and spread on toast. Or on homemade buttermilk biscuits. Hmmm...I have more buttermilk in the fridge....

Hot Strawberry Waffle Topping
Ingredients

• About 1 pound sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen. If you want more of a jam consistency, chop the strawberries smaller to start. If you like your topping chunky, slice them in half and leave some smaller berries whole.
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried powdered lemon rind, or about 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Directions

1. Put strawberries, sugar, and lemon into a sauce pan.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until they are thick and syrup-y.
3. No really, that's it.

(It's good to run out of flour every now and then. Gives you a chance to throw the canister through the dishwasher.)