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
- 1 1/2 cups espresso or strong coffee
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups turbinado sugar
- 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.)
- 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.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Recipe with Coffee
More Great Recipes: Booze-Free Drinks|Desserts|Breakfast & Brunch
7 months ago Celestyyne
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!
about 5 years ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Never saw this before and its just perfect for my caffeine and sugar fix. Love it!
about 5 years ago mrslarkin
Thank you sdebrango! This would be good to make a faux Manhattan Special!
about 5 years ago Heather Tomasello
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
about 5 years ago mrslarkin
Hi Heather. Sure, you can link to this recipe! Thank you very much!
about 5 years ago Heather Tomasello
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
over 5 years ago cookinalong
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!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
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!
over 5 years ago Sagegreen
Your photo looks much like a great master's painting!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
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. ;)
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
and thank you Sagegreen!! :)
over 5 years ago lapadia
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!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
thanks so much lapadia!!!
over 5 years ago Jennifer Wagner
This looks delicious, must try
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
Thank you SML!
over 5 years ago Midge
Love this mrslarkin, especially the Greek yogurt application. yum!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
Thanks Midge!
over 5 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
I'll bet it would be great in the cheesecake recipe I posted a little while ago.
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
Oh, my....yes, it would!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
It's also delicious stirred into nonfat Greek yogurt!
over 5 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
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.
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
:-) A mystery novel set in Venice?? I am so there. Sweetened my cappuccino this morning with the syrup - fantastico!
over 5 years ago susan g
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.
over 5 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
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.
over 5 years ago Panfusine
hmmm... just thinking of drizzling this over haagen dazs dulce de leche ice cream is making me quite happy!!!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
oh, that sounds yummy!
over 5 years ago testkitchenette
Loving this. I have some leftover coffee in the refrigerator so this may accompany me to my race tomorrow!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
Thanks, tk! Good luck in the race tomorrow!!
over 5 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
And btw, gorgeous photo!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
Thanks! It almost looks like a still life painting, if you squint your eyes shut. ;-)
over 5 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
No squinting required!
over 5 years ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
I thought I was the only noon stalker...
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
;-) That makes me feel so much better.....
over 5 years ago Panfusine
that is what I thought too...
over 5 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Sheesh! Full disclosure: that's my every day ritual.
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
uh oh, do we need an intervention??
over 5 years ago TiggyBee
True or false? I heart you mrslarkin...True!!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
*blush* I heart you too, Tiggy.
over 5 years ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
I ? you both!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
right back at ya, hla.
over 5 years ago TiggyBee
<3 : )
over 5 years ago TiggyBee
? : )
over 5 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Simply wonderful. What a lovely concoction to keep on hand. Brilliant!
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
Thanks boulangere!
over 5 years ago Lizthechef
Love this. Love you and your incredible spirit, Liz.
over 5 years ago mrslarkin
:-) Thanks so much, Liz!!