Coffee Syrups

That sweet little addition to a great latte....delicious flavor blends.  Yep I'm talking about coffee syrups!  One great thing about life in the country is the wide open spaces and seclusion away from the noisy hustle and bustle of the city but one drawback....the nearest coffee shop is a 20 minute drive and the nearest Starbucks is 45!!!  Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE my coffee and my Starbucks but after my recent trip to Ireland I have come to love my straight up espressos.  So after a few years of debate I decided to bite the bullet and buy a nice single-serve espresso maker and it's only been a day since it arrived but I am already in LOVE.  But what goes best with a great espresso and hot steamed milk?  SYRUP!  I recently found a few great recipes via Pinterest (my favorite go-to) and I will share them with you.

Over the past few years I have really been trying to buy as much natural and organic products I can afford as well as making "healthier" (sometimes) options myself to avoid certain chemical additives and preservatives hence the make my own syrups.  Plus, it's a great way to get a few different flavors without a huge jar that will go bad before I use it all.

First up Salted Caramel Syrup.  I made this one with a homemade Whiskey Salted Caramel I had in my fridge.

Salted Caramel Syrup:

1/2 Cup organic sugar

1/2 Cup water

1/4 Cup Salted Caramel

Combine sugar and water in a heavy bottom sauce pan bring to boil stirring constantly then reduce to simmer and add Salted Caramel simmer stirring frequently for 15 minutes, cool and place in jar for use.

Refrigerate for up to a month or keep at room temp for a week.

Next,

Cinnamon Maple Vanilla Syrup:

1/2 Cup organic sugar

1/2 Cup water

1/4 Cup Maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

3 Tbsp vanilla extract 

Combine sugar, water, maple syrup and cinnamon in a heavy bottom sauce pan, bring to boil stirring constantly then reduce to simmer and add vanilla extract.  Simmer stirring frequently for 15 minutes, cool and jar for use.  Refrigerate for up to a month or keep at room temp for a week.

Finally,

Pumpkin Spice Syrup:

1 Cup organic sugar
1 Cup water

Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer, stirring frequently, until all the sugar has dissolved. Then, add to your saucepan:

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree (I made my own from homegrown sugar pumpkins)

Simmer the syrup, spice, and pumpkin puree for about 10 minutes on low. Strain. Use immediately or store in a glass jar for up to a month.

There are so many other great flavors you could do as well, my motto is "get creative".  Enjoy!

                            

    

I got these jars at World Market and added chalk labels.