Syrup for Cakes Drinks and Coffee

Rich Simple Syrup:
With this variation you can use less syrup than a cocktail calls for.

Ingredients:

• 2 parts sugar
• 1 part water

Preparation:

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly.
3. Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. (Note: Do not allow the syrup to boil for too long or the syrup will be too thick.)
4. Allow to cool completely and thicken, then bottle.

To prolong the shelf life of your simple syrup, add a little vodka - usually between a tablespoon and an ounce, depending on how large the batch of syrup is.

Demerara Syrup:
Replacing white sugar with Demerara sugar (a raw sugar) is a popular alternative because it has a richer sugar flavor. The drawback to using this light brown sugar is that it will alter the color of cocktails and while the difference is noticeable, the taste makes up for it. Another option is to use turbinado or brown sugars.

Home made toffee syrup
Place a handful of toffee in the bottom of a saucepan and add half a cup of warm water. Apply a gentle heat and stir until the toffee dissolved. Allow to cool.

Home made Banana Syrup
To make the banana syrup, I've found it easiest to puree a banana and add it in equal amounts to the simple syrup while boiling. Strain out any banana chunks when the syrup is cool and you are ready to go.

Raspberry Syrup

Ingredients

 6 cups raspberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Directions

Combine raspberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until raspberries break down slightly and release some of their juice, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand for 15 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve, pressing down on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


Pineapple Ginger Syrup

Ingredients
1 large pineapple, washed and dried
1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar

Directions

With a sharp knife, slice off top and bottom of pineapple. Holding fruit upright on cutting board, slice off peel in strips; reserve peel. Cut flesh into 8 wedges. Remove core; reserve. Refrigerate wedges for another use.

 Cut reserved peel and core into 1-inch pieces; place in a medium saucepan with ginger, sugar, and 4 cups water. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, 25 to 30 minutes. Strain, discarding solids; chill.


Pineapple Syrup

4 cups cane sugar
2 cups water
1 small pineapple

In a bowl or 2-quart jar, combine sugar with water and stir. Skin and cube a small pineapple and add the fruit to the sugar mixture. Let stand for 24 hours.

Remove the pineapple cubes, lightly pressing them with a hand juicer or other method to squeeze some juice into the mixture.

Stir to dissolve any residual sugar and pour the resulting syrup through a tea strainer or cheesecloth-lined funnel into a 1.5-liter bottle.

Add a small dash of spirits (any distillate of at least 80-proof) as a preservative. Keep refrigerated for up to a month.