5 Ingredients or Fewer

Coffee Syrup

by:
April 15, 2011
0 Stars
Coffee Syrup
Author Notes

So here’s my typical Friday noontime ritual: Stalk the food52 site to see what the new contest theme is. Fidget and tap my foot when it’s 12:05 and no update yet. Answer the phone when Sconeman calls to find out if I’m having a productive day, and tell him “Yes! Yes, indeed I am!” Hang up and refresh the page. Repeat as needed.

Once the new theme is announced, I look through my recipes and see if something is a good fit, and then I peruse my favorite cookbooks for inspiring ideas.

Most of my recipes are easy, and this one is no different. It reminds me a lot of Kahlúa without the booze, which can be easily remedied I’m guessing. It’s adapted from the recipe for Coffee Cream Cake from The New York Times Menu Cook Book by Craig Claiborne (1966).

I’m going to leave the uses for this syrup up to your imagination. There are probably a good number of things you can do with it. But for right now, I'm enjoying a little of the syrup stirred into a glass of milk, on the rocks.
—mrslarkin

  • Makes 2 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups espresso or strong coffee
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups turbinado sugar
In This Recipe
Directions
  1. Over low heat, combine the coffee and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a small saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar, if desired. (I have a sweet tooth, so I use the 2 cups.)
  2. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Pour into a lidded 2-cup mason jar or other container and keep refrigerated.
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45 Reviews

Johnny B.
Johnny B. November 27, 2016
If I do not have turbinado sugar, then how much granulated sugar may I use? The same or less?
 
Ghazzzit
Ghazzzit March 4, 2016
I had some excess coffee on hand last month that I was loathe to toss and came across this recipe. The syrup turned out as promised! Deliciously sweet and coffee-esque.
My husband added it to his yogurt and nut breakfast for the entire week and raved over it.
I added it to a few experimental baking projects with yummy success. A fun addition to play with and enjoy! Thanks!
 
Heather T.
Heather T. September 6, 2011
i'd like to know if i can link to your site for my blog. i'm putting together a list of the best starbucks 'fakes' that you can do yourself. please let me know
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin September 6, 2011
Hi Heather. Sure, you can link to this recipe! Thank you very much!
 
Heather T.
Heather T. September 6, 2011
i'd like to know if i can link to your site for my blog. i'm putting together a list of the best starbucks 'fakes' that you can do yourself. please let me know
 
cookinalong
cookinalong April 25, 2011
First: Donna Leon has a new Brunetti mystery! How on earth did I miss that! Second, as our household's Queen of All things Caffeinated, I salute you! Now, because you have shown yourselves worthy, here's my uber-coffee version: after you have made your coffee (I use a french press, but I think most other methods would also work), take 1 3/4 cup of the brew and use that to make a second batch, with fresh grounds, of course. Essentially, for the second batch, you're using coffee instead of water. Proceed as mrslarkin commands for the rest of the recipe. Some of you might feel the need for 2 cups of sugar with this variation. So be it! In our house, we like to use 1 or 2 tbsp. of this in a glass of soda water from our Sodastream soda maker. Coffee soda!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 27, 2011
thanks, cookinalong for sharing your coffee tips! I'm going to try it with my french press. Can't wait to try my hand at a homemade Manhattan Special!
 
Sagegreen
Sagegreen April 21, 2011
Your photo looks much like a great master's painting!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 21, 2011
Isn't it funny? It's a combination of the lighting in my kitchen at 7:30 p.m. and the black color of my flat-top range! Must remember to take ALL my pictures at that time and place. ;)
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 21, 2011
and thank you Sagegreen!! :)
 
lapadia
lapadia April 19, 2011
Hi mrslarkin, I am SO NOT a coffee person, but I do love just a tiny little bit of its taste in baked goods, especially teamed up with dark chocolate, anyway, most of all, I couldn’t let your syrup just sit here without commenting on the behalf of those in my life, who would love to let their imagination run with it…so, in the end, your recipe could be a good thing for all!….love your Friday morning story, btw!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 19, 2011
thanks so much lapadia!!!
 
Jennifer W.
Jennifer W. April 19, 2011
This looks delicious, must try
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 19, 2011
Thank you SML!
 
Midge
Midge April 18, 2011
Love this mrslarkin, especially the Greek yogurt application. yum!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 19, 2011
Thanks Midge!
 
boulangere
boulangere April 17, 2011
I'll bet it would be great in the cheesecake recipe I posted a little while ago.
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 19, 2011
Oh, my....yes, it would!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 17, 2011
It's also delicious stirred into nonfat Greek yogurt!
 
boulangere
boulangere April 16, 2011
I am tucked in for the weekend. Just made a batch of your beautiful coffee syrup along with one of Panfusine's amazing ginger syrup, downloaded the new Donna Leon (if you haven't read her Commissario Brunetti series, now would be an excellent time to start) to my kindle, it's about to rain, and life couldn't get much better.
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 16, 2011
:-) A mystery novel set in Venice?? I am so there. Sweetened my cappuccino this morning with the syrup - fantastico!
 
susan G.
susan G. April 19, 2011
I appreciate your taste in food -- and now books too! In addition to being excellent stories, the Commissario goes home for lunch with his wife, supplying pleasant food interludes.
 
boulangere
boulangere April 20, 2011
Oh my gosh, and don't we read them as much for the food as for the story! I love Paola as much as I do Brunetti. I tell my office-mate that I need to get home because Guido is waiting for me.
 
Panfusine
Panfusine April 15, 2011
hmmm... just thinking of drizzling this over haagen dazs dulce de leche ice cream is making me quite happy!!!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
oh, that sounds yummy!
 
testkitchenette
testkitchenette April 15, 2011
Loving this. I have some leftover coffee in the refrigerator so this may accompany me to my race tomorrow!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
Thanks, tk! Good luck in the race tomorrow!!
 
boulangere
boulangere April 15, 2011
And btw, gorgeous photo!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
Thanks! It almost looks like a still life painting, if you squint your eyes shut. ;-)
 
boulangere
boulangere April 15, 2011
No squinting required!
 
drbabs
drbabs April 15, 2011
I thought I was the only noon stalker...
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
;-) That makes me feel so much better.....
 
Panfusine
Panfusine April 15, 2011
that is what I thought too...
 
boulangere
boulangere April 15, 2011
Sheesh! Full disclosure: that's my every day ritual.
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
uh oh, do we need an intervention??
 
TiggyBee
TiggyBee April 15, 2011
True or false? I heart you mrslarkin...True!!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
*blush* I heart you too, Tiggy.
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour April 15, 2011
I ? you both!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
right back at ya, hla.
 
TiggyBee
TiggyBee April 17, 2011
<3 : )
 
TiggyBee
TiggyBee April 17, 2011
? : )
 
boulangere
boulangere April 15, 2011
Simply wonderful. What a lovely concoction to keep on hand. Brilliant!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
Thanks boulangere!
 
Lizthechef
Lizthechef April 15, 2011
Love this. Love you and your incredible spirit, Liz.
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin April 15, 2011
:-) Thanks so much, Liz!!