Our gift to you. This episode of “Shockingly Simple”, Chef Alec demonstrates how to craft homemade syrups that turn your favorite drinks into holiday delights. Watch now.

Ingredients
- Peppermint: 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup crushed candy cane
- Pumpkin Spice: 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 TBSP each or cinnamon, allspice, ginger, clove or store bought pumpkin spice blend
- Spiced Maple: 1 cup maple syrup, 8-10 dried chillis.
Instructions
1. The Foundation*
- Combine Ingredients: In a small saucepan, combine equal parts water and granulated sugar.
- Heat and Whisk: Place the pan over medium heat and whisk the mixture continuously.
- Clarify: Continue heating and whisking until the sugar has completely dissolved and the liquid is perfectly clear.
*Simple Syrup Base for Peppermint and Pumpkin Spice Syrups
2. Peppermint Syrup
- Prepare Base: Start with the clear simple syrup base described above.
- Infuse Mint: While the syrup is still hot, add a generous amount of crushed candy canes to the pot.
- Dissolve: Stir the mixture for approximately two minutes, or until the candy canes are fully dissolved into the liquid.
- Cool: Once the syrup has turned a bright red, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely before bottling.
3. Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Prepare Base: Begin with a fresh batch of the simple syrup base.
- Add Spice Blend: Stir in a pumpkin spice mixture consisting of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger.
- Incorporate: Whisk the spices into the syrup until they are thoroughly combined and there are no dry clumps.
- Simmer: Cook the mixture briefly until the syrup becomes slightly translucent, then remove from heat.
4. Spicy Maple Syrup
- Dilute: Take a high-quality maple syrup and dilute it slightly by stirring in a small amount of water.
- Adjust Heat: Add whole chilis to the syrup. You can add as many or as few as you like depending on your personal spice tolerance.
- Steep: Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed overnight. This resting period is crucial for the chili flavor to infuse into the maple syrup.
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