by Cleo Coyle
These days, there are a dizzying array of syrup flavors to choose from—not just vanilla, chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut, but also butter rum, carrot cake, chocolate chip, maple spice, eggnog, English toffee, pistachio, piña co lada, roasted chestnut, tiramisu, toasted marshmallow, and many, many more! The possibilities for flavor combinations alone can make your head spin—and your mouth water.
As far as what brand of syrup to buy, coffeehouse pros will usually advise you to look for quality syrups that use pure cane sugar as the sweetening agent. Here are three great brand names to get you started. Go to their Web sites to learn more about the flavors they offer and where to purchase them. These sites are great. They even offer recipes! (Note: If any company does not sell its syrups directly to you from its Web site, just look for the link on the site where it suggests online retailers that do sell to the public.)
Torani—This is the oldest American brand of gourmet syrup, started in 1925 by Italian immigrants in San Francisco. www.torani.com
Monin—Monin was founded in France in 1912. Enjoyed for nearly a century by Europeans, it came to the American market in the early 1990s. www.monin.com
DaVinci Gourmet—This respected brand was launched in Seattle in 1989. www.davincigourmet.com
Tips for Using Gourmet Coffee Syrups
No need to add sugar—I love this. When you add a syrup to a drink (whether it’s a latte, a steamer, or a cold sparkling water), you’re automatically sweetening it, so there’s no need to add more sugar. One tablespoon of syrup equals about 1½ teaspoons of sugar and it brings plenty of flavor to the party, too, not just sweetness. (Sugar-free syrups are also available.)
Italian sodas—Just as the Europeans do, you can mix syrup flavors with sparkling water to create your own Italian sodas at home.
Cremosa—A cremosa is an Italian soda with a little cream, milk, or half-and-half added.
Steamer—A steamer is a latte without the espresso, and it’s great for kids or for someone who likes the idea of a delicious, warm latte but doesn’t want any caffeine. Simply warm some milk in a saucepan and add the syrup as a jazzy alternative to hot cocoa. A gingerbread-caramel steamer, chocolate-chestnut steamer, or eggnog-butter rum steamer, for example, would be delicious to serve around the holidays. Just look for those syrup flavors among the brands on the market.
Desserts and baking—You can drizzle gourmet coffee syrup over ice cream or fruit (poached pears, caramelized bananas, glazed peaches, fresh strawberries). You can even add them to a favorite recipe for a slightly different flavor profile. For instance, you might add 1 tablespoon of hazelnut syrup to your chocolate chip cookie recipe; 2 tablespoons of rum syrup to a yellow cake mix; or 1-2 tablespoons English toffee syrup to your favorite brownie recipe.
Syrups with “spirit”—Gourmet syrups are nonalcoholic, even the rum and crème de menthe flavors are alcohol free! But if you’d like to be your own bartender and make your own version of a liqueur, just combine any flavored coffee syrup with vodka in a 1:1 ratio. One ounce of cherry syrup and 1 ounce of vodka, for example, will give you 2 ounces of cherry liqueur. You can serve these in a decorative shot glass with after-dinner coffee, or add espresso and steamed milk for a “spirited” caffe latte.
Using a Syrup Pump—A syrup bar can be a lot of fun, especially for parties where guests can experiment with mixing flavors. If you like the idea of setting up your own coffeehouse-style syrup bar—for coffee drinks, cold drinks, or Italian ices—then consider purchasing pumps to dispense the syrup. These plastic pumps are inexpensive and reusable. (Just remember that every syrup company offers its own pump to fit its own bottles—some Web sites sell them with the syrups and some under the heading Accessories.) As far as measure, a syrup pump will give you ¼ ounce per pump (¼ ounce = ½ tablespoon or 1½ teaspoons). Coffeehouse baristas use pumps regularly, which is why they memorize drink recipes by number of “pumps” per cup. Tastes vary and some syrups carry much stronger flavor profiles than others, but a good rule of thumb is to use about 1 pump of syrup for every 4 ounces of other liquid (coffee, carbonated water, milk, etc). So for an 8 ounce drink, you’d add 2 pumps of syrup (1 tablespoon). For a 12 ounce drink, you’d add 3 pumps of syrup (1½ tablespoons); and so on.
CAFFE LATTE RECIPES
Basic Caffe Latte
Step 1—For one serving, start withcup of cold, fresh milk, right from the fridge. Heat the milk using an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method for creating cappuccino and latte froth (page 300).
Step 2—Into an 8-ounce mug, pour 1-2 shots of hot espresso, depending on how strong a coffee flavor you’d like in your latte. Remember that 1 shot = 2 tablespoons.
Step 3—Stir in your favorite flavored syrup—1-2 tablespoons (or 2-4 pumps from a syrup bottle), adding more or less, depending on the strength of the particular syrup and your own taste. Stirring the syrup into the hot espresso helps infuse it into the drink. Or skip the syrup if you want a plain traditional latte.
Step 4—Carefully tilting your milk pitcher or bowl, pour the steamed milk into your 8-ounce mug, filling it nearly to the top. (Use a spoon to prevent any foamed milk from pouring out, too.) Stir the mug again to distribute the flavor.
Step 5—Spoon the remaining foamed milk onto your drink. Serve plain or, depending on the syrup flavors you may have added, garnish with any number of finishers: whipped cream, a dusting of sweetened cocoa powder, a sprinkling of ground cinnamon or nutmeg, white or dark chocolate shavings, or even rainbow or chocolate jimmies (aka sprinkles).
NOTE: If you don’t have an espresso machine or a stovetop Moka pot, simply brew up some dark-roasted coffee at double strength to use in my latte recipes.
Latte Variations
CAFFE MOCHA
Use my Basic Caffe Latte recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate syrup in Step 2. If you don’t have bottled chocolate syrup, try one of my Homemade Chocolate Syrups (page 313).
CAFFE CARAMELLA
Use my Basic Caffe Latte recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons of caramel syrup in Step 2. Try my Homemade Caramel Syrup (page 315).
CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL LATTE
Use my Basic Caffe Latte recipe, adding 1-2 tablespoons of my Homemade Chocolate-Caramel Sauce in Step 2 (page 316).
TURTLE LATTE
Use my Basic Caffee Latte recipe. In Step 2, add ½ tablespoon (1½ teaspoons) of my Homemade Chocolate-Caramel Sauce and ½ tablespoon of hazelnut syrup or a nut-flavored liqueur (such as Frangelico or amaretto). Top this latte with whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate-caramel sauce, and chocolate jimmies or shavings.
APPLE PIE LATTE
Pour 1 shot of hot espresso into an 8-ounce mug. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of my Homemade Apple Cider Syrup (page 317). Fill the rest of the mug with steamed milk, created with an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Stir again to distribute the flavors. Top with a cloud of foamed milk and a drizzle of my Homemade Apple Cider Syrup.
RASPBERRY TRUFFLE LATTE
Pour 1 shot of hot espresso into an 8-ounce mug. Stir in ½ tablespoon (1½ teaspoons) of my Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup (recipe follows) and ½ tablespoon of raspberry syrup. (You can make your own raspberry syrup by using my Easy Homemade Fruit Syrup recipe, which also follows.) Fill the rest of the mug with steamed milk, created with an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Stir again to distribute the flavors. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Try serving with fresh raspberries on the side!
Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup
Makes about 1 cup
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
⅛ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Step 1—In a bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt (but not the vanilla). Add the water and whisk well until thoroughly blended. Pour into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir frequently until the mixture comes t
o a rolling boil; continue stirring and boiling the mixture for a full 7 minutes. (You’re watching for the syrup to reduce and thicken. It will also darken a bit.) If the mixture threatens to boil over, just reduce the heat a bit and keep stirring.
Step 2—After 7 full minutes, remove from heat. Allow to cool a minute and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and place in refrigerator. When completely chilled, remove any skin from the top and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. I recommend storing this syrup in a standard plastic squeeze bottle in refrigerator. Once chilled, this syrup may firm up on you. Just reheat the bottle in microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or set plastic bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
HELPFUL HINT: Chef’s say stirring in a continuous circle is not the best way to mix ingredients. Instead, stir in a figure eight, an S-shape, and a circle. In other words, vary the way you stir the pot to make sure the ingredients are blended well.
Homemade Milk Chocolate Syrup
Makes about 1½ cups
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder, sifted
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, milk, corn syrup, and cream. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and you have a smooth mixture. Keep stirring until the mixture boils, then keep it boiling for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. After 7 minutes, remove from the heat, let the mixture cool for a minute and then stir in the vanilla. Before storing, allow the syrup to come to room temperature. I recommend storing in a standard plastic squeeze bottle in refrigerator. Once chilled, this syrup may firm up on you. Just reheat bottle in microwave for 30-60 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Homemade Caramel Syrup
Makes about 2 cups
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a nonstick pan, combine the cream, whole milk, corn syrup, sugars, and salt. Stir over medium heat until smooth and blended. Bring to a roiling boil and maintain for 8-10 minutes. Keep stirring—do not let it burn! After 10 minutes, stir in butter; continue heating and stirring for another 3 minutes until butter is completely melted. Remove from heat. Let stand a minute, then stir in vanilla. Serve warm in your latte or try drizzling over ice cream, baked apples, or pie. Let syrup come to room temperature before pouring into a standard plastic squeeze bottle and storing in refrigerator. Once chilled, syrup will firm up a bit. To use right out of fridge, simply reheat plastic bottle in microwave for 30-60 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Homemade Chocolate-Caramel Sauce
Makes about 2 cups
Use all of the ingredients in the Homemade Caramel Syrup
recipe, plus:
2 tablespoons (¼ stick) butter
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Step 1—Follow the directions for previous caramel syrup recipe. When caramel syrup has finished simmering and recipe asks you to add butter, increase amount by 2 tablespoons—for a total of 4 tablespoons added to caramel syrup mixture. Stir until butter is melted and then stir in the sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. (Make sure cocoa is sifted or you’ll be battling lumps.)
Step 2—Remove chocolate-caramel sauce from heat and stir in ¼ teaspoon vanilla—as per previous caramel syrup recipe. If your hot sauce is still lumpy, transfer to heatproof mixing bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Let sauce cool to room temperature before pouring into a plastic squeeze bottle and storing in fridge. Once chilled, the sauce will firm up quite a bit (like a hot fudge sauce). To use right out of fridge, simply reheat plastic bottle in microwave for 60-90 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Homemade Apple Cider Syrup
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups apple cider
2 cups light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine apple cider, light brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a nonstick saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. After mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking or burning. The mixture will reduce and become thicker. Now add butter and stir continuously until completely melted. Remove pan from heat. After a minute, stir in vanilla. Syrup will thicken as it cools.
Serve in your latte or try this delicious Apple Cider Syrup over ice cream or even pancakes, waffles, and French toast.
318 CAFFE LATTE RECIPES
The best way to store homemade syrups is in a plastic squeeze bottle. To reheat fast, place bottle in microwave for 30 to 60 seconds or set in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Easy Homemade Fruit Syrup
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups water
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 cup of your favorite flavor of jam, jelly, or fruit preserves
Flavor suggestions: Raspberry, strawberry, peach, apricot, orange, blueberry, mango, mint.
In a nonstick saucepan, stir together water and sugar with your favorite jam, jelly, or preserves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent burning or sticking. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. After 20 minutes, mixture should be slightly reduced and thicker. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. (Strain a second time if needed.) Allow to cool to room temperature in a bowl and remove any skin that forms. Transfer syrup to a plastic squeeze bottle and store in refrigerator. To re-warm syrup, simply place the plastic bottle in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or set bottle in a warm-water bath.
NOTE: If using an “all-fruit” preserve—the kind sweetened with fruit juice or concentrate instead of corn syrup—add about 10 minutes to the simmering process. The corn syrup in standard jellies and preserves is what helps the mixture thicken. If your jelly or jam does not have corn syrup in it (check the ingredient label), you’ll simply have to boil this mixture down a bit longer for the same result.
FA-LA-LA-LA LATTES
Unless otherwise indicated, the recipes that follow are for single servings.
Gingersnap Latte
1 shot hot espresso or strong coffee
1 tablespoon Homemade Gingersnap Syrup cup cold milk
Pour the espresso into an 8-ounce mug. Stir in gingersnap syrup. Fill the rest of the mug with steamed milk. (Use an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method on page 300.) Top with a cloud of foamed milk and a crisscrossing drizzle of gingersnap syrup.
Homemade Gingersnap Syrup
Makes about 1½ cups syrup
2 cups water 1½ cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a nonstick saucepan, combine the water, sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning. After the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering for 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent sticking or burning. The mixture will reduce and become slightly thicker. Remove pan from heat. After mixture cools a minute, stir in vanilla. Serve warm in your latte or try it over ice cream! The best way to store homemade syrups is in a plastic squeeze bottle. To reheat fast, place bottle in microwave for 30-60 seconds or set in a warm-water bath for a few minutes.
Pumpkin Spice Latte
2 teaspoons canned pumpkin
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see note)
1 tablespoon vanilla syrup (or ¼ teaspoon vanilla
extract and 1½
teaspoons granulated sugar)
1 shot hot espresso or strong coffee
cup cold milk
Cinnamon stick
Step 1—In an 8-ounce mug combine canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla syrup (or vanilla extract and sugar).
Step 2—Pour the hot espresso into the mug. Stir well to blend the flavors.
Step 3—Froth up the milk using an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Using a spoon to hold back the foam in your pitcher or bowl, pour the steamed milk fluid into the hot espresso. Add a cinnamon stick and stir to mix the flavors. Top with foamed milk.
NOTE: Pumpkin pie spice can be found in most grocery store spice sections. If you don’t have it or can’t find it, you can make your own. Simply mix the following ground spices to get 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice: ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Eggnog Latte
½ cup cold eggnog
¼ cup cold milk
1 shot hot espresso or strong coffee
Pinch ground nutmeg
Step 1—Combine the eggnog with the milk. Steam the liquid mixture using an espresso machine steam wand or my rustic stovetop method (page 300). Note that eggnog will scorch faster than milk, so watch the steaming process closely.
