Tag: Latte

Gingerbread Latte Syrup
Recipes

Gingerbread Latte Syrup

Sarah

Often people think of gingerbread as a “holiday” flavor, but to me gingerbread is about winter. One can only drink so many peppermint mochas I feel before you start asking yourself if you are drinking toothpaste.

Making your own latte syrups from scratch isn’t hard, and the highlight is they contain no preservatives.

A name brand of this syrup, which you would find at most espresso shops contains this: PURE CANE SUGAR, WATER, NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE (TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS), CARAMEL COLOR.

No molasses added to the commercial ones, and artificial coloring to make it dark. Making your own means you get all the good stuff in it. And none of the questionable.

Gingerbread Latte Syrup

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground clove
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Add the molasses, maple syrup, water, ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg to a saucepan.

Bring to a simmer, whisking well. Let simmer very gently for 10 to 15 minutes, whisking often. You may need to lower the heat all the way to low. Don’t walk away. It’s a sugar syrup and those tend to spike up fast and can boil over quickly.

Take off the stove, whisk in the vanilla.

Once cooled down, transfer to a clean mason jar.

Store sealed in the refrigerator. The sauce will become very thick once chilled.

Makes about ¾ cup syrup.

To Use In Lattes:

Start with 1 Tablespoon syrup in a large mug (14 to 16 ounce size) and mix in 1¼ cups steamed milk, adding in 1-2 espresso shots. I use whole dairy milk, as long as it is unsweetened with no flavoring added, most non-dairy milks work fine.

If you like it sweeter, go up to 2 Tablespoons, but this is a potent spiced syrup versus commercial versions. Start with 1 Tablespoon, and add in a little of the milk to loosen up the syrup, then slowly mix in the rest of the milk.

We use a Breville Barista Express machine.

~Sarah

Handmade Cinnamon Syrup
Recipes

Handmade Cinnamon Syrup

Sarah

This recipe was originally developed back in 2012 for a former blog of mine.

Unlike commercial coffee/latte syrups, this will not make your morning coffee taste like a liquid vat of Red Hots, nor is it blazing red in color. It is a thick, creamy flavored cinnamon, with a hint of exotic vanilla bean, with a deep caramel color.

Also delicious over pancakes, waffles, biscuits…..in tea and so on.

Cinnamon Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar, preferably organic
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 sticks cinnamon, 4″ or so in length each
  • 1 tsp ground vanilla bean or 1″ section vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Directions:

Add ingredients to a medium heavy saucepan, place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, let boil until sugar is dissolved. Take off heat, let cool.

Strain syrup through a Jelly Strainer Bag or nut milk bag, let drip, do not squeeze bag, discard cinnamon and vanilla. Pour into a decorative jar and store sealed, in refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Makes about 10 ounces.

~Sarah

Gingerbread Latte Syrup
Recipes

Gingerbread Latte Syrup

Sarah

These recipes I originally developed in 2012 on a former blog, and with winter on the way it’s time to revisit the recipes. Never had a gingerbread latte? Well, now you can! The syrup is also perfect for drizzling over pancakes.

Gingerbread Latte Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2½ tsp ground dried ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Add the ingredients to a heavy medium saucepan, bring to boil over high. Turn to medium-low, simmer for 15 minutes – do NOT leave while simmering as it can boil over easily.

Let cool, then transfer to a sterile jar, store in refrigerator.

Makes about 1¾ cups.

Gingerbread Latte

Ingredients:

  • 1 to 1½ cups milk
  • 2 Tbsp Gingerbread syrup (or to taste)
  • 1-2 shots espresso

Directions:

Make sure your espresso machine is preheated. We use a Breville Barista Express.

Steam milk to preferred temperature (I aim for 165° to 170°). Add syrup to mug, mix with half of the hot milk. Pull the shots of espresso, add to mug down the center, gently pour in the remaining milk and swirl foam on the top.

Serve and drink immediately.

On milk amount:

I prefer to use about 1¼ cups milk, once I add the espresso and syrup I have a tall drink. 1 cup will give you a very strong-tasting short latte, 1½ cups will give you closer to a Grande.

~Sarah

Gingersnap Latte Syrup
Recipes

Gingersnap Latte Syrup

Sarah

This recipe for Gingersnap Syrup came from 2013 on a former blog of ours. It’s perfect for cold mornings in Fall. A warm mug soothes the cold rainy days.

Gingersnap Latte Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • Dash ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Add everything but the vanilla to a saucepan, bring to boil. Turn to medium simmer for 15 minutes, stirring as needed.

Let cool, strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Store in a sealed sterilized bottle, in the refrigerator, use up within 3 to 4 months.

Makes about ¾ cup syrup.

Gingerbread Mocha

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 shots espresso
  • Steamed milk of choice
  • 1 Tbsp gingerbread syrup
  • 1 Tbsp chocolate syrup

Directions:

Make sure your espresso machine is preheated properly. We use a Breville Barista Express.

Steam milk to preferred temperature (I aim for 165 to 170°). Add syrups to mug, mix with half of the hot milk. Pull 1-2 shots espresso, add to mug down the center, gently pour in the remaining milk and swirl foam on the top.

Serve and drink immediately.

On milk amount:

I prefer to use about 1¼ cups milk, once I add the espresso and syrup I have a tall drink. 1 cup will give you a very strong-tasting short latte, 1½ cups will give you closer to a Grande.

Note:

Make your own chocolate syrup.

~Sarah

Candy Cane Mochas
Recipes

Candy Cane Mochas

Sarah

It’s mid-Fall and Starbucks is bringing back it’s Winter drinks, which you know…you can get these anytime of the year at an independent shop…or better? Make it yourself! As a former barista, it’s not hard to learn.

The recipes below I originally wrote for a former blog in 2012, and I feel they deserve to be written about again. Put in an hour’s or so time, and you can drink well through the cold, and here, very rainy days.

As a bonus, all the syrups are fresh and don’t contain preservatives (plot spoiler: commercial latte syrups contain preservatives, as they sit opened on shelves for months in shops), nor do they contain fake flavorings and colors.

To make a Candy Cane Mocha you will need 2 syrups to blend together.

Candy Cane Peppermint Syrup

Ingredients:

Directions:

Add the sugar, water and candies to a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high, stirring until sugar is dissolved and candy is melted.

Pour into a glass measuring cup, stir in peppermint extract, color as desired. Pour into a sterile glass bottle, let cool and seal or put in bottle pourer. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Makes about 1 cup or so.

Notes:

It doesn’t need to be dyed, but if you use peppermint candy that has red coloring it will look odd if you don’t add a bit more dye. Look for natural dyes, they are showing up in grocery stores now.

Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients:

  • ¾ cup water
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Add the cocoa powder, sugar and salt to a quart measuring cup. Boil the water, add to the dry and whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool a bit, pour into a sterile glass jar. Store in refrigerator, tightly sealed.

Shake gently before using.

Makes about 1½ cups.

Candy Cane Mocha

Ingredients:

  • 1¼ cups milk
  • 1 Tbsp Candy Cane Peppermint syrup
  • 1 Tbsp chocolate syrup
  • 1-2 shots espresso

Directions:

Make sure your espresso machine is preheated. (We use a Breville Barista Express)

Steam milk to preferred temperature (I aim for 165° to 170°). Add syrups to mug, mix with half of the hot milk. Pull 2 shots espresso, add to mug down the center, gently pour in the remaining milk and swirl foam on the top.

Serve and drink immediately. Top with whipped cream if you like.

On milk amount:

I prefer to use about 1¼ cups milk, once I add the espresso and syrup I have a tall drink. 1 cup will give you a very strong-tasting short latte, 1½ cups will give you closer to a Grande.

Makes one latte.

~Sarah