It’s so Simple: Madame Thermomix’s Simple Sugar Syrup

In my post called “Have Your Cake and East it, Too” several of my assiduous Readers noticed that I moistened the cake layers with a mixture of sugar syrup and lime juice. A few of you noticed that I used bottled sugar syrup that day but that I slipped into my recipe the fact that you can also make it in your Thermomix. Finally, a couple of you wrote to me to ask what it is and how to make sugar syrup. Madame Thermomix will always endeavour to come to the aid of her readers, so here is a description as well as the very simple recipe.

Epicurious.com’s Food Dictionary gives this definition of sugar syrup, which basically says it all:
“Also called simple syrup, sugar syrup is a solution of sugar and water that is cooked over low heat until clear, then boiled for a minute or so. Sugar syrup can be made in various densities — thin (3 parts water to 1 part sugar), medium (2 parts water to 1 part sugar) and heavy (equal parts water and sugar). Depending on the thickness, sugar syrups have various uses including soaking cakes (such as BABAS), glazing baked goods, poaching or preserving fruit, adding to frostings, etc. Sugar syrups are the basis for most candies and can be flavored with a variety of EXTRACTS, juices, LIQUEURS, etc. See also CARAMEL; CANDY. (© Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.)”

So there you have it. Sugar syrup is sugar and water. Simple, no? Yes!

I tasted the bottled sugar syrup that I bought for cocktails when I lived in France (the syrup I mixed with lime juice to moisten my Easter cake) and decided that I would make the heavier syrup with a 1:1 ratio. A 1:1 (one-to-one) ratio is simply one part something to one part something else; in this case one part sugar to one part water. In real terms that means equal weights of sugar and water.

I generally use about an espresso cup’s worth of liquid (juice, coffee, liqueur) to moisten a two-layer cake so I didn’t want to make too much simple syrup. I decided to use 100 g of each, to yield a bit more than 100 ml of syrup. Just nice with a bit of flavouring in a pretty little bottle!

I also had a choice of sugars to use: white granulated with vanilla beans in it; golden granulated fair-trade; and Demerara or raw, unprocessed granulated sugar. The darker the sugar, the darker the syrup (be careful if colour makes a difference) and the deeper the taste.

Madame Thermomix’s Simple Sugar Syrup

Ingredients
100 g sugar
100 g water

Method

1. Weigh both ingredients into the bowl of your Thermomix. Cook on Varoma Setting/5 minutes/Speed Spoon.
2. Pour carefully into a sterilised jar or a dish and let cool.

Done. Good. Simple.

Your Simple Syrup can be flavoured with juices, herbs, fruit, flowers, spices… the list is endless. I found some Chocolate Mint growing in my herb garden and placed a sprig into the bottle. For my Coconut and Lime Easter Cake, I flavoured the syrup with lime juice to ease up on the bitter acidity of the lime.

Simple Syrup is often used to flavour drinks and cocktails because it dissolves better than granulated or crystallised sugar. Add some mint and make a mojito. Flavour your daiquiris and Margaritas with a lime-flavoured syrup. Use your imagination and shake it up!

NEW! Print this recipe

Bon appétit !

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