Simple syrup is ridiculously easy. It's so easy I don't really know why I need to tell you about it. But I feel compelled.
And just so you know, while I made the simple syrup I took copious pictures of the process. However, most of the pictures are of boiling water. And while using sugary things to sweeten up iced tea is a wonderful thing, thousands of pictures of boiling water are not. So I'll only give you one:
It's ALIVE!! |
And now on to the recipe! Simple syrup, as my Biology major husband so lovingly informed me, is a supersaturated liquid. You basically add sugar to water until the water can't take it anymore. Boiling the water allows for more absorption of the sugar, resulting in a delicious, syrupy, sticky mess. Hurrah!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
Then you could pour the syrup into an old Smucker's jam jar. The syrup will last a couple of weeks in the fridge.
The syrup doesn't turn out to be as sticky and syrupy as I thought it would. I assumed the mixture would thicken and turn out to be the consistency of maple syrup. But what do I know? Nothing, apparently.
Simple syrup is about the consistency of water (go figure). It is used mostly for drinks. In my case I made this for my husband to make martini's for our New Year's Eve party. But I have heard of people adding simple syrup to iced tea as an alternative to adding regular sugar. I can see how this would be a preferable alternative because sugar never seems to dissolve completely in iced tea. Undissolved sugar is seriously annoying.
Also, I was reading about people using simple syrup between cake layers. Sprinkling a few drops of the syrup onto each layer before adding frosting or other layers keeps the cake moist. Isn't that most excellent? Of course layer cakes intimidate me so I probably wont be employing this technique anytime soon. But if it works out for you, please let me know how the results go!
And now I bring you to one of the most frustrating problems I've experienced in a long time.
I just recently got married, which is one of the best things to do if you enjoy presents. Which I do. So it was an enjoyable time. Also, having a dorky husband around is hilarious.
Anyway, marriage is great. But I can tell you what is NOT great. Measuring cups. That's right. Take a look at this picture.
1, 2, 3, 4... |
Notice anything strange? Notice anything missing?
Measuring cups these days are strangely lacking in the 3/4 and 2/3 cups. Have you noticed this phenomenon? I have a set of measuring cups that I got as a wedding present and it only had the 1/4, 1/3, 1/2 and 1 cups. What is this madness? Do measuring cup manufacturers actually think I have the ability to add fractions? Sure, I could just use three dips of the 1/4 cup to reach 3/4 of a cup. But why? That seems like a terrible amount of work.
This has been frustrating me for a couple of months now. At least, it frustrated me until I wandered around Bed, Bath and Beyond and found these beauties.
It all happened very suddenly. I was looking for a good set of measuring cups. I rejected one set after another. 3/4 cup? No! Cast aside! 3/4 cup? No! Cast aside! Then, all of the sudden I saw them dangling delicately from a hook surrounded by inferior products. The FULL SET of measuring cups!
I died. Of happiness.
And then I bought the set, which was about $4. I think that's a good deal for a complete set of measuring cups.
Now doesn't that just look right? |
Thank you Betty Crocker and Bed, Bath and Beyond. You have made cooking and baking that much more fun! God bless you all!
But wait, there's more! I not only found these magical measuring cups, I also found this!
Is that a 1/2 Tbs I spy...? |
It's a little hard to see, but this set of measuring spoons has not just the regular set of spoons, but also a 1/2 tablespoon AND a 1/3 teaspoon, which I didn't even know existed and I'm pretty sure I'll never use because I've never seen any recipe call for it, but I have it now and that's all the matters. Whew! This set was only $1.50. Which means you should probably go to Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy a few sets. One for you and one for all your friends! Go on and share the joy of cooking!
And now, another pretty picture of the magical cups.
So nice! |