Vanilla Coffee Syrup

I haven’t baked in awhile. Well, I lie. I made these Cake Batter Funfetti Cookie Cups for my graduation party last Friday.

It was no easy task, either. My two lovely evil brothers kept stealing the baked cookies off of the cooling rack while I wasn’t looking. It got so bad that I had to call in reinforcements to guard the cups and reprimand the cookie gorging monsters. That’s what moms are for, right? I squealed and she came running to the kitchen wielding a spatula and Ziploc baggy. She shooed their cookie-filled paws away from the rack with the spatula and hid the cookies before the boys ate all of them before the festivities. Vultures!

What I should have said is that I haven’t baked anything new in awhile. I’ve been so busy the past two months that I haven’t had time to create any new recipes. Needless to say, I’ve missed the kitchen and my recipe notebook.

I didn’t actually bake you anything today… More like cooked you something on the stove. Either way, it’s something new and delicious. This recipe derived from my love of coffee. I LOVE coffee! Yes, it wakes me up in the morning and kick starts my engine so I can function for the rest of the day. But it’s more than that. I love the way it tastes. A rich, dark, chocolatey blend swirled with fresh cream is pure satisfaction. I try to stick with one cup a day, but some days require two cups. I like my coffee best out on my patio listening to the birds and reading a good book (romantic, I know), but most days I drink it in the car on my way to work. It’s not as satisfying, but it helps repress my road rage.

I used to stop at Starbucks or Panera everyday for my morning brew. Once I tallied up the money I spent in one month, I quickly ended our relationship and started brewing at home. Since it’s hot and humid out, I’m currently cold brewing my coffee. It’s so good. The Pioneer Woman has a great tutorial about making the perfect iced coffee.

I love adding a swirl of flavor to my coffee. Chocolate, caramel, and, my favorite, vanilla. I would buy a big bottle of vanilla syrup at Target and swirl it into my coffee with a splash of cream. Guess what? It’s so easy, not to mention cheaper, to make your own vanilla syrup right at home. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner. It’s just simple syrup with vanilla extract added. Boom, vanilla syrup.

The syrup smells so good as its bubbling on the stovetop. It almost smells like caramel, all toasty and sweet.

I know it’s a couple months away, but this syrup would make the perfect Christmas gift. Slap a tag on it and add a bow, and you have yourself a very thoughtful gift. Heck, you don’t even need to wait for Christmas. This is every coffee lover’s dream come true.

Add some coffee–hot or cold–to a cup. Stir in a teaspoon or two of vanilla syrup and a splash of cream, and you have yourself a delicious morning pick me up. Enjoy!