Easy Cranberry Syrup

This morning I made cranberry syrup to go with our whole wheat waffles.  It was delicious and I recommend you try it sometime during this Thanksgiving season.

1 cup dry cranberries (3.5 ounces)
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch (makes a thick, sauce-like syrup.  For a thinner syrup, use 1/2 tablespoon)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, mix the cranberries and hot water.  Cover the bowl and cook at high heat in the microwave for two minutes.  Remove the bowl and let the berries steep for ten minutes.

Use an electric food blender to puree the berry and water mixture.   The mixture should look like a thick juice. 

Place the cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Add two or three tablespoons of the pureed fruit to the pan and stir to make a slurry of the cornstarch.  No lumps should remain.  Add the rest of the fruit mixture, the sugar, and the lemon and stir.

Heat the syrup on a medium setting until the mixture begins to bubble and the syrup thickens, stirring to keep from scorching the liquid.  Remove from the heat and let cool.  The syrup will become thicker as it cools.  This makes about 12 ounces of syrup. 

Next time I will double it and use about 3/4 tablespoon of cornstarch for an in between thickness.