Traveling is one of my favorite ways to find inspiration to make my every day life more interesting. I find ideas and concepts in the world to bring home with me. Whether it's as simple as a color combination, or a new product I'd never have found at home, I love seeing what the world has to offer. I recently took a quick trip down to Savannah, Georgia and was inspired a lot by what I found down there, including today's recipe for a spiced lavender mocha syrup.
In researching my itinerary for this Savannah trip, I came across many recommendations to go to The Collins Quarter and to get one of their spiced lavender mochas. Luckily, the Airbnb I stayed at was just a few blocks away from their Bull Street location, so I went there both mornings. And of course, I had the spiced lavender mocha both times, it was that good!
Morning mocha
Their version is much more involved than anything I want to deal with in the morning, but I still wanted to enjoy that lightly spicy, floral-y, chocolatey flavor without the hassle. I experimented with a few ways of making chocolate sauce like I would put in coffee anyways but couldn't figure out how to easily strain out the lavender buds before adding it to the coffee. I love lavender but I don't want to feel the buds on my tongue as I am trying to drink my morning requirement to exist. Finally, I figured out the solution — a pre-made chocolate syrup, pre-spiced with lavender, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Now making an at-home, drip coffee version is easier than ever. You can also use this syrup in drip coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, espresso shots, or whatever. It is a thin syrup for dissolving more easily in coffee, so it is not thick enough to pour on top of ice cream.
Spiced Lavender Mocha Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup1 water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dried lavender buds
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Bring the water and sugar to a light boil in a saucepan, until the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from heat and add lavender buds. Stir well and let steep for 20 minutes.
- Strain out the lavender, and stir in the cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Let cool and pour into a jar for easy pouring into your morning coffee.
How much syrup should I add to my coffee?
I like to add 2 tablespoons to my drip coffee in the morning, plus milk or cream. If you like a richer, more mocha-forward drink, you may want to add 2-4 tablespoons.
Does this have the exact same taste as the drink from The Collins Quarter? No but it does have a delightfully perfumed and spicy aroma that wafts up from the rich mocha coffee. There's no adorable little foam heart adorning the top of the drink, nor any artfully scattered lavender buds on a regular morning at home — but it sure does taste good. It may not totally replicate the carefree delight of sitting in a cute cafe in Savannah on a weekday morning with no cares in the world, but it brings back the memories of those mornings every time I enjoy one.
Maybe it's time to book another trip back down in the spring... but in the meantime maybe I can teach myself latte foam art. It looks like it could be really hard, or fairly really easy.
Where to buy culinary lavender
Luckily it's so easy to find culinary, or food grade lavender, than ever before. Any well-stocked health food store will sell culinary lavender, often in their bulk spice aisle. You can also find it online but make sure it's marked at culinary or food-grade, and buy from a reputable source.
Store lavender in an air-tight container for two to three years in a cool, dark cabinet or drawer. You will be able to smell if the lavender has lost its potency.
Looking for more coffee variety?
