Exciting news from the processed food world!  Log Cabin Syrup, the breakfast table staple since 1887, has announced it’s replacing the high-fructose corn syrup in its products with natural, “real” sugar.

Log Cabin is not alone–Pepsi (in its Pepsi Throwback product) and Snapple have both said goodbye to the HFCS this year. 

To review, what’s so bad about high-fructose corn syrup?  On one level, not much–the Snapple switch apparently only dropped 40 calories from a serving of iced tea.  But any Michael Pollan reader will tell you that there are other costs to be paid for the cheap sweets that are found in corn-based fructose.

I won’t re-hash all those arguments here, but I will mention two of the most compelling.  First, the use of high-fructose corn syrup in everything from bread to cookies to beverages means that we’re essentially eating the same product in different forms all day long.  That just can’t translate into a balanced diet.  Second, farmers are pressured by government subsidies to only grow corn (and soybean) products, which leads to a “monoculture” environment in which soil is manipulated into putting out more corn at the expense of supporting the diverse plant life that can help us be healthier, better-fed, and less likely to face the twin demons of obesity and diabetes.

Enough stumping, though–back to food.  In celebration of its big announcement, Log Cabin posted a recipe that, though I’ll confess that living in New England I would use local syrup over the national brand, looks pretty darn good:

Apple Pecan Baked Pancake
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. favorite pancake mix
2 tbsp. butter — (melted)
1 c. Granny Smith apple — (peeled and sliced)
1/3 c. pecans — (chopped)
3 c. Log Cabin syrup
1/2 tsp. cinnamon — (ground)

Instructions:
Heat
oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pancake mix according to package
directions; and set aside. Pour melted butter in 9″ pie plate. Place
apple slices in bottom of pie plate; sprinkle cinnamon and pecans and
drizzle syrup over apples; carefully pour batter on top. Bake at 350
degrees for 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when touched.
Loosen edges and invert onto serving plate. Cut in wedges and serve
with warm maple syrup and/or fresh apple butter. Serves 4 to 6.

Enjoy!

(image via: http://notsoaveragemama.com/)