How to Cook: Strawberry Syrup

It's Strawberry season!

The amazing Strawberry is one of my favorite fruits! (I like pretty much anything with "berry" in the name) They are usually expensive, for a poor person like myself, so when they are in season, and on sale, I get very excited! So, I will be doing Strawberry inspired recipes for the next while, if you are allergic...I am sorry...that sucks for you.


This first one is very easy and diverse in the ways you can use it! It's a basic syrup that you can either make thick for a topping, or thinner to use for flavoring things! The recipe is pretty similar to the Latte one I posted before.

So lets get started, make like a battery and charge!


What you will need:

- 1 Small Saucepan
- 1 Sharp Knife and Cutting Board
- 1 Wooden Spoon or Whisk
- Potato Masher or Large Fork (for smashing)
- 1 Small Bowl (Not Metal)

Ingredients

- 1-2 Cups Chopped Strawberries (depending on your personal taste)
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/3 Cup White Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg (about a pinch or shake)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 Cup -1 Cup Warm Water



First, you want to cut up your Strawberries into small pieces. If you want a chunky syrup, for pancake type foods, quarter them. If you want a more smooth, like Michael Jackson (I kid, it's impossible to be that smooth), cut them into eighths instead. I made mine more chunky.

Once you have them all chopped up, add them into the pan with the amount of water you want. Like I said before, you can make this thiner or thicker. The way I made it in the pictures was a thinner version. It will reduce down and thicken, so add more than you think you need. (I would suggest about 1/2 Cup if you are not sure how thick or thin.) 

Heat to Medium and add the other ingredients. Let the butter melt and the sugar dissolve into the water base and bring it all to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Make sure to leave it uncovered so that it can reduce. 

Let it simmer for 10-20 Minutes, depending on the thickness you want, so that the Strawberries are fully cooked. 

Take your masher of choice and smoosh all of the Strawberries in the liquid. You can do this as many times as you want, once again depending on how you want the syrup. (If you are very fancy you can blend it all together.) Turn off the heat and let it simmer until it stops. 

Transfer into a bowl and let it cool and thicken. 

You can leave it in the bowl, or transfer it into a jar or sealed container! 

How can you use this, you ask?

Uses:

- Add to plain soda to make Italian Flavored Sodas!

- Use on French toast, Waffles, Pancakes, etc! 

- Use as an Ice Cream topping! 

- Use syrup in coffees for a Latte option! 

- Add to any dessert! Cakes, Jellos, Puddings! 

- Mix other fruit in for a fruit salad!

- The possibilities are Endless! 

(In my next dessert recipe you can use this as well!) 

You can also use this with any fruit you like. But remember that a soft fruit will work better! 

Enjoying the noms of their labor, 

-C.A.M.

How to Cook: Coffee Syrups/Lattes

The winter season is the time where all of your money disappears, hence why it is called "Magical", right?

I kid you, I love Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, "The Holidays", etc. Though most of my does money goes to gifts and hot drinks and soups. . .

A great way to save is to make your own coffee at home so you are not as tempted to spend it on Starbucks. Let's face it, we have all had a tea or coffee from that place. So how will you afford to buy all the awesome gifts for your family and friends this year if you are spending about $5 or more a day on drinks alone? Now you can't buy them the Han Solo Ice cube Tray, nerdy shirts, or new expansions to World of Warcraft and other games! Oh, the horror!

To help you with this problem, since I can't give out my own money (or lack-there-of)to you, I will help you make your own delicious drinks so you can save your own!

For this recipe you basically make a simple syrup and add the flavor you want to that.

Simple Syrup

What you will need:

-3/4 Cup White Sugar

-1 Cup Water

-Saucepan

You will also need an airtight sealable container, like a jar or Tupperware, and something to strain with, cheese cloth works the best. You can try a coffee filter, but that will take about 10 hours to do and will rip at the slightest bit pressure, trust me that you will want a cheesecloth or fine strainer instead.

I made three kinds of syrups when I did this.

Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate, and Peppermint/Candy Cane.

The pumpkin spice was inspired by Sugar Crafter, I tweaked it a bit but give her the credit for it, the others I made on my own.

You will add these ingredients to the Simple Syrup depending on what you want. You can add the ingredients depending on how strong you want it to taste, keep in mind it is supposed to be a concentrated syrup though.

Pumpkin Spice

- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Filling

- A dash of Cinnamon, Clove, and Nutmeg

or

-1 1/2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Puree

- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

- 1/4 Teaspoon Clove

- 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Chocolate

- 3-4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

- 1 Teaspoon ground Chocolate

(I used a cocoa with ground chocolate in it already)

- 1 Extra Tablespoon Sugar

- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Peppermint/Candy Cane

- 1-2 Teaspoons Mint Extract

- 3 Teaspoons Candy Cane Candies

(Any type of candy that is flavored like peppermint/candy cane will do)

Directions

Add all of your ingredients to the sauce pan and set the burner on Medium-Low heat. Simmer the mixture. Do not let it boil or the sugar may burn. Continue stirring it for about 15 minutes, or until the sugar is integrated completely. We do not want any floating, undissolved sugar lingering at the bottom of the pan like treasure on the sea floor.

Turn off the heat and let the syrup set for a few minutes off of the burner. While that is sitting get out the strainer and secure it on your container.

Slowly pour your syrup through the container and let it drain into the jar. You will probably need to scrape the residue, aka reason for straining, off so that the syrup drains faster and does not clog.

Seal the container, as it sits it will get thicker. You can store this for about a month in the refrigerator.

The best way to prepare this is in a "Latte", which is really just Milk and a few shots of expresso or Strong Coffee. The weaker your coffee, the less milk you want to use.

I could not steam the milk, (if you can then great!) so instead I heated the milk, not letting it boil, and added it to the coffee. I used 2 shots of expresso and filled the rest of the mug with milk.

Then add about 2 Tablespoons of your syrup. Or more depending on how strong you want it to taste.

You can even make a Peppermint Mocha with the chocolate and peppermint combined, at least that's why I made those two.

Add Whipped Cream or some Frothy Milk to the top, if you have some, and enjoy!

You can even put it in a travel mug or those types that look like the cups they give you in Coffee Shops if you would like!

This is a great thing to make for yourself, to impress company, etc.

Really you can make any kind that you want to, just add what you like to the Simple Syrup and follow the instructions.

Also, if you are really trying to save money this year, not only can you make these to save for Christmas gifts but you can give it as a gift! Wowie!

Enjoying the noms of their labor,

-C.A.M.