Along with lovers of “pure” coffee without additives, there are also those who cannot imagine a cup of this aromatic drink without some tasty syrup. But is it worth spending money on buying ready-made syrups from the mass market with a dubious composition, if in fact make your own coffee syrup - is it simple and quick? Here are the TOP 6 most popular recipes to prove it. True coffee lovers would probably call a drink with the addition of syrup a kind of coffee cocktail, but nevertheless, the combination of coffee with various syrups has been very popular lately - largely thanks to popular coffee shop chains like Starbucks. And if we talk about the most popular flavors of syrups for adding to coffee, then these include caramel, chocolate, nut, spicy and fruit and berry, as well as the flavors of various desserts, as well as alcohol.
In industrial conditions, all or almost all such tastes, alas, are often obtained using artificial flavoring additives. And as a result, there is no need to talk about the benefits of drinks prepared with such syrups. In addition, for longer storage and economical consumption, syrups are usually made very concentrated.
At home, you can use natural ingredients to make syrup. The finished syrup will need to be stored in a closed glass container in the refrigerator, and its taste and concentration can be varied as desired.
How to make coffee syrup
Raw materials. The basis of coffee syrup is coffee and sugar diluted with water. Coffee drinks (including syrup) are prepared from two main varieties: Arabica and Robusta. Robusta contains significantly more caffeine than Arabica, but when making instant coffee (which is made only from Robusta), it contains much less than the ground version. If we talk about benefits, then Arabica wins.
Fact. Instant coffee may contain artificial colors, flavor enhancers and flavorings. But it is cheaper and more practical.
Therefore, which option suits you best, decide for yourself.
Supplements The main sweetener is sugar/powdered sugar. The latter dissolves faster. Gourmets often supplement the syrup with spices: orange zest, cinnamon, mint, and nuts (nutmeg, hazelnuts, almonds).
Dishes and storage. We recommend brewing coffee syrup in a non-stick container with a special coating or made of stainless steel with a thick bottom or brass.
Store it in a clean, glass bottle/jar with a tightly sealed stopper/lid. Shelf life: no more than 1 month in refrigerator conditions.
Depending on how exactly the syrup will be used, the degree of thickness is varied using sugar. For a layer - thicker, for filling and drinks - thinner.
Features of cake impregnation
A product made from flour and heat-treated loses moisture and becomes dry or brittle. Adding oil (vegetable or butter) or milk only partially relieves the problem. The use of impregnation allows you to restore the moisture of the cakes and give the cake an original taste. A chocolate-based sponge cake is treated with a sweet liquid based on a similar base. The combination of products allows you to obtain a harmonious aroma without excessive saturation of the dough with moisture.
For processing, coffee impregnation is also used with the addition of a small proportion of cognac or brandy (the proportion depends on the preferences of the confectioner). It is possible to make caramel liquid with the addition of fresh juice squeezed from lemon or lime. The ascorbic acid contained in the product corrects the taste, so the cake will not be overly sweet. Biscuit treated with impregnation with the addition of alcoholic beverages is suitable only for adults. To reduce the proportion of ethyl alcohol, cognac or brandy is heated to +60...+80°C, in this case the cake can also be given to children.
For chocolate sponge cake, do not use impregnations with the addition of honey, vanilla or fruit syrups with a high sugar content. Instead of natural citrus juice, you can use citric acid, thoroughly dissolved in water. Dry matter granules can distort the taste of the cake.
There are impregnations based on tangerine or orange juice (freshly squeezed or packaged) with the addition of granulated sugar.
Instant coffee syrup
For 500 ml of boiling water, take:
- 3 level teaspoons of coffee;
- 300 gr. powdered sugar;
- a pinch of ground cinnamon.
Making:
- In a ladle or saucepan, mix powdered sugar, coffee and cinnamon.
- Pour boiling water over the mixture.
- Place on low heat and cook, stirring until thickened.
- Let cool, transfer to a prepared container, and seal (or use for its intended purpose).
Tips for the recipe
To impregnate pre-cooled cakes, use a special pastry brush with soft bristles. The tool allows you to apply the liquid in an even layer without filling individual areas of the cake. There should be a thin film left on them; you should not spill the surface excessively. Instead of a brush, you can use a teaspoon.
Regardless of the culinary tool chosen, uniform impregnation of the biscuit is achieved; dry areas are not allowed. You can understand the degree of liquid penetration by lightly pressing the cake.
To prepare coffee impregnation, you need high-quality cognac. You should not use budget varieties that have a strong alcohol taste and a high content of dyes. It is acceptable to include Amaretto and Baileys liqueurs or hand-made alcoholic beverages. Homemade liqueurs can be adjusted to taste (for example, by changing proportions or adding additional ingredients).
To prepare liqueur, use vodka (water is not included in the recipe). At the initial stage, you need to warm up a can of condensed milk to +85...+90°C and add 1 tbsp. l. instant coffee. Then remove the container from the stove, add 100 g of pre-chopped chocolate with a high content of cocoa beans. Some cooks add milk or white, or create compositions from different varieties. The resulting mixture is dissolved in vodka and 1 tsp is added. natural vanilla extract.
Using Coffee Syrup
Coffee gives one of the strongest aromas, and the deep brown hue and moderate sweetness of the syrup complement the confectionery delights.
Coffee syrup can act as:
- ice cream topping;
- component for cocktails;
- flavoring for cake or tiramisu;
- impregnation for biscuits.
In addition to its visual appeal, this syrup has beneficial properties. Its use helps to increase tone and appetite, improves mood, and favorably emphasizes the taste of the finished delicacy. We caution that hypertensive patients and diabetics should not overdo it with syrup.
What should be the correct impregnation?
When preparing, take into account:
- the ability of the liquid to soak the cakes without the risk of the sponge cake dissolving;
- taste characteristics and compatibility with cake components;
- the volume of liquid depending on the personal preferences of the cook and the composition of the cakes.
Consistency
When mixing components, it is necessary to look for a compromise solution. The liquid should evenly saturate the base of the cake, but not dissolve or destroy the sponge cake. Fluidity is imparted by changing the proportions of ingredients, but at the same time taking into account the risk of transformation of taste characteristics.
There are recipes for impregnation with a cream consistency made from condensed milk and butter with the addition of cocoa and vanillin. The mixture moisturizes the sponge cakes and allows you to get a delicious cake without alcohol.
Taste
The liquid contains sugar, but the resulting impregnation should not be cloying. It will distort the taste of the finished cake, and it will be impossible to correct them.
The master independently selects the proportions of the components, achieving the required characteristics. To adjust the taste or smell, vanilla sugar, brandy, cognac, milk liqueur or red wine are added to the impregnation composition. The dosage is determined by the pastry chef.
Compatibility
When preparing the product, you should achieve a harmonious combination of flavors of chocolate-based impregnation and biscuit. If the ingredients are incorrectly selected, the liquid will make the cake tasteless or drown out the aroma. The recipe depends on the ingredients of the biscuit. For example, an impregnation based on strawberry or raspberry jam or cherry pulp with the addition of water and granulated sugar is well suited for cakes. Alcoholic ingredients are optional.
Amount of impregnation per biscuit
The proportion of liquid to biscuit is 1 to 0.7, but the ratio is approximate and depends on taste preferences and the composition of the cakes. For example, when introducing additional oil or yogurt, which reduces the hardness of the product, it is necessary to reduce the proportion of impregnation.
To select proportions for the industrial preparation of cakes, you can use ready-made tables.
Literature
- Buteykis N.G., Kengis R.P. Syrups and burnt butter // Preparation of flour confectionery products. - M.: Economics, 1965. - 252 p.
- Mityukav A.D., Rutsky A.V. Soft drinks and cocktails. – Mn.: Urajai, 1989. – 112 p.
- Ratushny A. S. Sugar syrups // All about food from A to Z: Encyclopedia. - M.: Publishing and trading corporation "Dashkov and Co", 2016. - 440 p.
- Collection of recipes for dishes and culinary products: For public enterprises. power supply / Auto-stat. : A. I. Zdobnov, V. A. Tsyganenke - K. : Ariy, 2015. - 688 p.
- Sweet tooth. – M.: ZAO Firma STD, 1999. – 319 p.
Working with cherries
Berry syrup with cherry juice goes perfectly with chocolate sponge cake.
Ingredients:
- cherry juice – 100-110 ml;
- granulated sugar – 2 tbsp. l.;
- cherry liqueur (cognac) – 35 ml;
- boiled water, cold – 220 ml.
Cooking method:
Using ready-made juice you don’t even need to turn on the gas. It is enough to combine all the ingredients and wait for the sugar crystals to completely dissolve. Once the sweet crystals have completely dissolved in the liqueur and juice, add water and stir again. Coat the chocolate cakes evenly with the resulting syrup.
The second version of cherry impregnation. Boil fresh berries with seeds (200 g) (250 ml of water) in sugar (30 g) for several minutes. Cool and strain through a fine sieve. Then dilute with amaretto liqueur (30 ml). This drink goes wonderfully with chocolate buttercream.
Non-alcoholic options
In addition to the solutions listed above, others, without alcohol, are used to moisten the biscuit:
- strawberry;
- crimson;
- orange;
- tangerine;
- apple;
- pear;
- kiwi;
- banana;
- apricot;
- watermelon;
- melon;
- tea.
Cooking method:
- First, prepare a regular sweet solution. From water and sugar, or honey, another sweetener.
- An ingredient from fruits or berries is added to the cooled syrup in the required proportion.
- Custard and any other biscuit cream should be harmoniously combined with the prepared solution.
Instead of the fruit itself, puree is sometimes boiled in syrup. Berries are replaced with juices. It is important that when combining, all ingredients are cooled to the same temperature.
Important! Desserts made from shortbread and puff pastry become blurry due to additional moisture. Custard is a sufficient layer for such a cake. Like creamy and buttery.
Basic Rules
- Even the famous Prague cake () was moistened with a solution of water, sugar and cognac, but they did not forget to maintain a moderate proportion.
- Alcohol is added to the cooled mixture so that it does not disappear quickly.
- A solution that is too thin will ruin the shape of the cake.
- Too rich will make the dessert cloying.
- The taste is enriched and diversified by adding tea, cocoa, coffee, and all the ingredients listed above.
Syrups soaking chocolate biscuits enrich homemade baked goods and enrich their taste. Cream for a fluffy sponge cake is not the only important ingredient. A unique recipe for a moisturizing solution can give dessert an incredible, unusual taste. The luxurious, juicy consistency of the cakes will make the delicacy unique and temptingly delicious. When you bite into such a cake, it is difficult to even understand where the cream begins and the cake ends. The feeling is unforgettable! Cook, try, enjoy!
Irina
Hello, I'm Irina. I have been a coffee expert for over 15 years. Over the past 6 years, I have tried every coffee there is to try and even opened my own coffee shop. Join me on this journey to learn more about coffee at Pokofemanim.ru
