Basic Sugar Syrup is used in so many recipes I think it merits a spot of its own. Use it to sweeten iced coffee or tea or in cocktails. Flavored with a little Cointreau or cognac, it moistens cake layers before filling. And it is an essential ingredient in frozen icy treats such as granita, pictured here, or sorbet.
Ingredient Note – Sugar
Sugar is what’s known as a “technical food.” This means that it interacts with other ingredients in specific ways governed by chemistry and or physics although a degree isn’t required to use it. When working with sugar, time, temperature and handling must be controlled to achieve the desired results.
We use sugar syrups in ice cream, sorbet and granita to achieve the desired texture or mouthfeel. Freeze a glass of water and you get a solid block of ice. Freeze a mixture sweetened with enough sugar, you get slush. The formation of ice crystals is interrupted by sugar in a liquid. With the right amount of sugar, you’ll get tiny crystals not large sharp ones.
This Basic Sugar Syrup is considered a “heavy” syrup. It is heavy because of the quantity of sugar that is dissolved in the water.
Use Basic Sugar Syrup to sweeten drinks and fruit salads. Stock some for your bar. And always have it on hand in summer for making granita and sorbet when the weather sizzles.
This Basic Sugar Syrup is considered a "heavy" syrup. It is heavy because of the quantity of sugar that is dissolved in the water.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
Directions
- Stir together the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil gently until the sugar dissolves, for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Cool then chill in the refrigerator before using.
- This Basic Sugar Syrup will keep in the refrigerator for one week or longer.
