Ingredients

Scale

For the maple cherry syrup:

1 1/2 lb. fresh, pitted cherries
1/2 – 1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

To make a soda:

Ice
About 6 oz. club soda
1 shot of maple cherry syrup
1 shot of fat free half & half (or regular half & half cream)

Instructions

Put all the ingredients for the syrup into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until the cherries are soft and the syrup is fragrant and a beautiful cherry color.
Let the mixture cool, then filter through a fine filter or cheesecloth to filter out the cherries. Pour into an airtight jar and store in the fridge.
When it’s time to make a homemade soda, fill a tall glass about 2/3 full of ice. Fill about 2/3 way with club soda. Pour in a shot of the syrup. Stop and taste … is it sweet enough? If not add a little more syrup.
Then, for the magic part: pour in a shot of the half & half. Watch all the magic swirls and bubbles playing together. Stir and enjoy!

Notes

Total time does not include cooling/straining time for the syrup.

Using more water in the syrup will result in more syrup, but it will be less concentrated in sweetness and in flavor. If you want to cut down on the refined sugar, use 1/2 cup water and more maple syrup … or try substituting your favorite sweetener for some or all of the sugar.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2015, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.