simple syrup |

Cardamom Simple Syrup

by corrie.pennington / March 26, 2020

Cardamom simple syrup is an effortless way to add warmth and complexity to a cocktail. But what is cardamom?

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like!

Cardamom (also spelled cardamon) is a spice commonly known for its presence in Indian cuisine, although it’s used in traditional dishes throughout the world. If you’ve ever had chai tea, you’ve most likely tasted cardamom as it’s one of the key spices found in traditional chai. Cardamom comes in two varieties: green and black. Both have rich, distinctive flavors but green is more commonly seen.

Cardamom is the third most expensive spice by weight, but thankfully you don’t need a lot to impart its unique flavor. Grocery stores will usually have bottles of it for about $5 but I’d turn to Amazon and spend a few extra dollars for much better quantity and quality.

Besides using your cardamom pods to make cardamom simple syrup, you can also lightly crush a pod or two and put them in your coffee or tea for a unique layer of flavor. Or, just pour in some of your cardamom simple syrup. You can also use the cardamom to make your own cardamom-infused vodka. Mmmm, imagine using that in a Moscow mule. Wow. Gotta remember that idea for later.

Whenever I make any flavored simple syrup, I typically make smaller batches because I know I won’t use much before it goes bad. I’d say this stuff will keep for 1-2 months in the fridge. If your cardamom simple syrup starts looking cloudy, throw it out and make a fresh batch.

The Ingredients for Cardamom Simple Syrup

1/8 cup cardamom pods
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

The How-To

Crush the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle if you have one. If you don’t, you can use a bowl and the bottom of a glass. No need to obliterate the pods– just apply enough pressure to crack the pods and release the seeds. Add the crushed cardamom, water, and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring it to a light boil and leave it boiling for 3-5 minutes. Allow it to cool completely. You can either strain the pods & seeds out before pouring it into a glass container or you can store the syrup with some of the pods. I personally like leaving the pods in it to further infuse the simple (and because I think it looks cool).

Inspired by all the flavoring possibilities of homemade syrups? Check out these other options:

simple syrup

Matcha Simple Syrup

by corrie.pennington / March 16, 2020

Matcha simple syrup is an excellent way to add an extra boost to your iced green tea, invigorate your sparkling water, or incorporate an earthy flavor into cocktails.

Matcha simple syrup is an excellent way to add an extra boost to your iced green tea or to incorporate an earthy flavor into cocktails. Matcha is finely ground green tea leaves. It has a ton of health benefits:

boosts metabolism
detoxifies the body
calms and relaxes, despite the caffeine it also possesses
improves concentration
high in antioxidants (in fact, it has over 100x more antioxidants than regular green tea!)
lowers cholesterol
has several vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, zin, magnesium, selenium, and chromium
is said to have cancer-fighting abilities, thanks to its high quantity of a catechin called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate)

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like!

Now granted, I only use a little of matcha in this recipe, and its quite literally steeped in sugar. So who’s to say how much of these benefits you’ll get from the syrup. I would guess not much. BUT it will impart a beautiful earthy flavor and green tint to your cocktails. That’s benefit enough for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Not a cocktail drinker? (Hi Mom) You can add this to your iced green tea or sparkling water for an extra boost of flavor and maybe, like, one or two tiny health benefits.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon matcha powder (it’s pricey but a little goes a long way, even if you’re using it for tea)
1/4 cup sugar (you could use stevia, coconut sugar, or agave to make this much healthier, but the ratios will be different)
1/4 cup water

How to Make Matcha Simple Syrup

Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the matcha powder. It will clump so whisk well. I whisked it as well as I could before pouring it into my ultra-mini mason jar. Then I put the lid on and shook it again. That’s what finally got the last remaining clumpies out.

I opted to make a very small batch of this so that it wouldn’t go bad before I got to use it all (I’d say 4 weeks in the fridge max). Feel free to double it!

Feeling inspired? Check out my honey syrup, rose syrup, and beet syrup recipes.

simple syrup

Rose Simple Syrup

by corrie.pennington / February 12, 2020

If you don’t enjoy the smell of roses, don’t count out this rose simple syrup just yet. I myself used to hate all things rose. My distrust of rose fragrance runs far back to my elementary days. All the way back to my 3rd-grade year, to be exact. My family, seeking to support another friend by way of a school fundraiser, bought a rose-scented pillar candle. And when I say scented I mean SCENTED. That thing was FRAGRANT, unnaturally so. None of us could stand the smell, so my mom came up with a brilliant, selfless idea: we can give the candle to my teacher.

Add a floral layer of sophistication to your cocktails with this rose simple syrup.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like!

I’ll never forget giving it to her. I could practically SEE the pink fumes spiraling up out of the tissue paper. As any teacher would, she thanked me profusely and plastered a smile on her face while she put the candle on display on top of her filing cabinet. Moments later, Michael J. came in the room and– between gags and coughs– he was able to squeeze out the words “Mrs. Lawrence, what is that SMELL?” I couldn’t help but laugh then and I still laugh thinking about it to this day.

Fear not, this rose simple syrup won’t emit any fumes or knock out anyone who wanders into the kitchen when you’re making it. If you’re a little afraid of a heavy rose flavor, skip the rosewater and use only the rose petals. It’ll be delicate, adding only a hint of floral essence in your cocktail.

If you want more of a pink hue to your syrup, consider adding a pinch of beet powder. (You might have some on hand if you’ve made my beet simple syrup). Without the beet powder, the syrup will have a slight purple-gray tint to it, which is totally fine. I just wanted it to look a little more pink so it would add some color to my Rose Darling. You can see the difference in color in the two photos below.

As I have mentioned in my other simple syrup posts, I prefer to make small batches when crafting flavored simple syrups. I typically don’t use a lot and don’t want to waste any before I’m able to use it up.

The Ingredients for Rose Simple Syrup

2 Tablespoons dried rose petals (pleeease make sure you are using food grade petals)
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon rosewater

How to Make Rose Simple Syrup

Boil the rose petals in the water on the stove for 1-2 minutes. You’re essentially making rose tea. There won’t be much water in the pot so be careful to make sure the petals don’t scorch. Strain the liquid and discard the petals. Pour the rose tea back into your saucepan and add the extra tablespoon of water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and add the rosewater & stir again. Allow it to cool completely before storing it in the fridge. It should keep for a month.

Rose simple syrup adds a floral element to cocktails, tea, and even lattes.

Interesting in making other simple syrups? Check out these recipes:

simple syrup

Beet Simple Syrup

by corrie.pennington / February 7, 2020

Using a vegetable in a cocktail basically makes it healthy, right? This beet simple syrup is an easy way to bring some earthy depth and striking color to any drink.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like!

The beet flavor is not overwhelming so even if you’re not a fan of these hot pink roots, you can still get behind adding them to your drink. You can buy huge bag of beet powder from Amazon or Walmart for around $10. And while this recipe only called for 1 teaspoon, there are a ton of other ways to incorporate beets into your life.

You can mix the beet powder in smoothies, yogurt, or baked goods. It’s a great way to dye cake icing. Or put it into brownies for a hidden boost of antioxidants. I actually just made some beet juice ice cubes and can’t wait to incorporate them into a drink. Beets are high in folate, fiber, potassium, manganese, iron, and vitamin C. And although I can’t prove that all these nutrients will make their way into your cocktail glass, the beet simple syrup will at least make it look beautiful.

The Ingredients for Beet Simple Syrup

1/4 cup sugar (or honey!)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon beet powder

How to Make Beet Simple Syrup

Add all three ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a small container like a mason jar. Let it cool completely before you put the lid on and stick it in the fridge.

Wondering what to put this magenta magic into? Check out my Passionfruit Paloma.

Beet Simple Syrup

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 mins

Cooling time 15 mins

Course Drinks

Servings 4 ounces

Equipment

small saucepan
lidded container

Ingredients

1 teaspoon beet powder
¼ cup sugar (or honey)
¼ cup water

Instructions

Add all three ingredients to a small saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Stir or whisk until the beet powder is fully incorporated.
Pour into a small container like a mason jar. Let it cool completely before you put the lid on and stick it in the fridge.

Notes

Beet simple syrup should keep for about a month in the fridge.

Keyword beet, simple syrup, sugar

simple syrup

Lavender Simple Syrup

by corrie.pennington / January 29, 2020

Add some extra sophistication to your coffee, tea, or cocktails with lavender simple syrup.

Lavender simple syrup is one of my simple joys in life. Lavender, in general, makes me happy… but lavender that I can pour into my coffee, tea, & cocktails? Heavenly. I think most people are aware of lavender’s anxiety-reducing benefits, but did you know that lavender also has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties? It’s even useful for digestive problems, headaches, and is a natural antihistamine.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like!

Now, I’m not saying that you’ll get all these benefits from lavender simple syrup (although the aromatherapy aspect will definitely be there). If you want the most benefits, you’ll need to invest in some quality lavender essential oil. Lavender is one of my most used oils and I use it for anything from burns to mosquito bites. And living in Texas means lots of mosquito bites.

Lavender simple syrup is more versatile than you may think. You can make lavender lattes (divine), lavender lemonade, and, of course, lavender cocktails. Simply use it in place of regular simple syrup in a cocktail recipe to add a fun floral element. You could even use it in baked goods! The buds themselves are edible, too, so you could sprinkle those babies like, well, sprinkles.