Spiced Christmas Syrup
A delicious spiced syrup for all your holiday beverages
Ingredients
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- 5 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces I prefer the flavor of Ceylon cinnamon
- 8 whole allspice, cracked
- 12 whole cloves
- 2 whole star anise pods
- Zest of one orange
Instructions
- Add maple syrup and water to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
- Break cinnamon sticks and add to the pan, along with the rest of the spices.
- Using a microplane or zester, zest the orange and add to the saucepan.
- Once the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Let simmer uncovered for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over.
- Remove from heat and let sit for another ten minutes.
- Strain using a fine mesh strainer into a clean mason jar. Add lid and store on the counter for a week or in the fridge for a month.
Notes
- When trying the syrup in a new beverage by the cup, start with a teaspoon and adjust to taste—for instance, a cup of coffee or a mug of cider.
- Add ½ cup to a half gallon of hot cider for mulled cider, adjusting to taste.
- Add 1/3 cup of 750ml of red blend wine and ¼ cup of brandy for hot mulled wine, adjusting to taste.
- Make a batch of spiced Christmas syrup and put it in a bottle with a bow for an easy and quick hostess gift this holiday season.