Breakfasts Without Bacon; Date Syrup & Morning Glory

Date syrup has to be my new favourite sweet thing. As far as syrups go, this version is actually fairly healthy, not too sickeningly sweet, easy to make, has a rich flavour and texture and is rather versatile. I've even used a spoonful or two to gently sweeten a morning coffee. WARNING: not recommended for those of you with a...er...relaxed digestive system.

So how do we make this natural, luxurious, wonder sweetener? With ease, dear reader, with ease. All you need is equal amounts of chopped dates and boiling water, and a bit of time.

Date Syrup

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup boiling water

1. Pop your dates in a bowl, and add the boiling water.
2. Put a lid or cover over your bowl and leave to sit for around 8 hours or overnight
3. In the morning, pop your stick blender in and whizz for a few seconds until smooth. A food processor would also do the job. It's in the name.
4. Taste it. Enjoy it. Never look at dates in the same way again.

So what lovely things can be enhanced with date syrup? Here are a few suggestions:

• Porridge
• Rice pudding
• Fresh fruit
• Yoghurt
• Coffee
• Scones
• Muffins
• Toast
• Goats cheese
• Pancakes
• Chocolate
• Peanut butter
• Morning Glories...

No, not that sort of morning glory; but hey, I won't stop you experimenting. Morning Glory is the name I have given to my version of layered breakfast jars. I won't provide you with an exact recipe, as it really doesn't matter what you put in, just choose some of your favourite breakfast yummies and layer them in a jar. These are great for preparing beforehand and taking with you on the move. They're gorgeous, filling and can be anything you want them to be. If only everything followed the same principles. Sigh. Some ingredients you may want to use to relive childhood sand art moments without getting grit in your teeth are:

• Date syrup- obviously
• Yoghurt
• Fresh fruit
• Oats- toast lightly in a dry pan and then stir in some honey or syrup of choice for an extra bit of nums
• Dried fruit
• Nuts- these too can be lightly toasted in a dry pan. Make sure to shake the pan and take them off the heat as soon as they lightly brown. These burn very easily and then taste like the devil's bum crack.
• Jam
• Honey
• Marmalade
• Peanut butter
• Cream
• Maple syrup
• Puffed rice and cereals
• Chocolate coffee beans
• Shot of espresso
• Torn up pieces of croissant or pastries