Simple Syrup: Santa’s Little Helper
What is Simple Syrup? You’ve probably heard the word bandied about everywhere from Kentucky Derby Parties, where it’s used in Mint Juleps, to coffee houses, where it’s used to sweeten hot drinks without the need to wait for sugar crystals to melt. This holiday season, let Simple Syrup be your shortcut to tasty treats!
What’s the secret alchemy? It is just sugar and water boiled together! This liquid treasure has all the same sweetness of granulated sugar, in a better form for delivering to hot and cold drinks. The secret weapon of bartenders and baristas alike, it helps concoct the best cold homemade beverages, cocktails, and other drink recipes. How much easier is it to swirl in a prepared translucent liquid than it is to add sugar directly? It blends quickly and completely, and with almost no mechanical action: A twirl of a spoon will do.
Mix up a batch to store in your fridge, and you can use it in your every day cooking. Ladle it into sorbets, sorbets, use it to candy fruit, moisten sponge cakes with it, or flavor it to your tastes.
Versioning the syrup doesn’t even require a fancy recipe; welcome news to beginner cooks. Just make the recipe below, and throw in as much or as little flavoring agent as you like (straining well after the syrup is cool). For sweetening up Christmas Cocoa, to de-brickifying that fruit cake, to livening up fresh fruit, make Simple Syrup your holiday helper this year.
The Three Basic Types
Thin: 3 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar ratio. Best for glazes and drizzles
Medium: 2 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar ratio. Best to sweeten hot drinks and iced tea
Thick: 1 part water to 1 part granulated sugar ratio. Best for cocktails, candied fruits, and pancake syrup
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, set over medium-high heat, bring cold water and sugar to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, and cook stirring constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves completely and the syrup thickens. The longer you cook it, the thicker it will become. Be careful! Hot sugar burns the skin badly. Stand back from the stove. To test for doneness, dip in a large spoon and wait for the liquid to settle. If you still see sugar crystals, cook longer. Once dissolved completely, remove the syrup from the heat and allow it to cool.
Now is the time to add flavorings, if desired. If using flavorings, allow them to steep in the syrup until cooled (about 30 minutes), then strain through a fine sieve, coffee filter, or cheesecloth.
Stir in a spoonful of corn syrup to ensure that the Simple Syrup (or flavored syrup) stays smooth. Decant into a clean, tightly-lidded jar or bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Flavor Ideas
Add these flavorings individually or in combination with one another for wonderful flavored syrups you can keep for yourself or give as holiday gifts, tied up with decorative ribbon and tagged.
Strips of citrus zest
Cinnamon sticks
Fresh mint or basil (great drizzled on melon!)
Coin-sized rounds of ginger
Dried chili peppers (use with Vodka cocktails)
Green tea leaves
Whole espresso beans
Food-grade rose petals
Vanilla beans, split and scraped (use the seeds to flavor Vanilla Sugar)
Whole cardamom pods
Peppercorns
Cocoa nibs
Whole cloves
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