If you’re a fan of coffee-shop-style flavoured coffees, you might like to consider making your own flavoured syrups. They’re fairly easy to make, just requiring a little caution when handling the hot liquid, and you can personalise them to your taste by experimenting with spices and sugar levels.
Homemade caramel flavoured syrup
Use a heavy bottomed pan, and turn the hob to a low heat setting. Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of granulated sugar about 2cm thick, and add enough boiling water to make a thick paste. Put the pan on the hob, and stir the mixture continuously. After a while, it will start to bubble and turn a light brown colour as the sugar caramelises. At this stage, the liquid will be extremely hot – take great care that none of it splashes onto your hands as you stir. Take the pan off the heat, and let it stand for a minute or so. The mixture should be a golden brown, and it will continue to cook for a while as it stands. If necessary, return the pan to the heat and let it cook a little more, but don’t let it get to the dark brown stage, or it’ll taste burnt.
Once the mixture is golden brown, let it cool – it might thicken and harden considerably. Always let the pan cool before moving to the next stage, as otherwise the caramel may spit and scald you as you add the water. Next, pour a little boiling water into the pan, and heat it very gently until the caramel dissolves into the water. Continue to add more water, a little at a time, until you have a pouring consistency.
Sterilise a bottle, either by boiling it in water or heating it in the oven. Let the bottle cool before you fill it with syrup, then seal with a clean cap or cork. Add a little syrup to coffee for a caramel flavour.
If you love caramel syrup, but don’t want the effort of making your own, check out our full range of flavoured syrups on our coffee ingredients page, priced at only £7.29 a litre.