HOW TO: Make Homemade Hazelnut Syrup #Sponsored

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of LorAnn Oils and Dixie Crystals.
I received complimentary product for the purpose of review and recipe development for #BrunchWeek,

but all opinions are honest and they are my own. This page may contain affiliate links.

When I was in college, there was a café just across the street from the Anthropology department where my Mayan Archaeology lecture was held at 5 in the evening. Since most of my classes were early, I was dragging by 5 and always ran over to buy a coffee before class. 

By that point, I was fully embracing the Turkish proverb: “Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love.” I didn't go for frilly coffee drinks with lots of flavors, whipped cream, and a chocolate drizzle! But I was intrigued by the colorful bottles of syrups that lined the back wall of the entire café and, sometimes, I would buy an Italian soda instead of a coffee.

When the boys were smaller, I would pick up a bottle of Italian syrup and let them make their own sodas. But the syrups are pricey and they would bicker about which flavor they wanted. Really, they argued about the color. I want the orange one! hollered one. "I want to try red!" countered the other. So I started to make my own syrups. It's so easy...and these don't have food coloring. Even better.

As I mentioned earlier, I like my coffee dark and plain. Jake loves hazelnut in his coffee. So, when I received a hazelnut emulsion from LorAnn Oils to prepare for this year's #BrunchWeek event, I decided to share how to make homemade hazelnut syrup. You'll see this homemade syrup in one of my #BrunchWeek recipes: Hazelnut Milk Punch. Check back during the online event! But first a little bit about LorAnn Oils.

LorAnn Bakery Emulsions

LorAnn Oils is known for concentrated, professional strength flavorings and essential oils. I had never heard of them nor an emulsion. I mean, I know what an emulsion is, but hadn't heard it used like that. So, I was excited to read that it's more flavorful than an extract. Emulsions are flavors suspended in a base comprised of mostly water; extracts are flavors suspended in a base of mostly alcohol. When exposed to heat, the alcohol-based extracts will "bake out" while the bakery emulsions will remain robust and distinctive. 

Turns out, that's exactly what happens. I did a side by side test with coffee-flavored biscotti. One I made with coffee emulsion, the other with coffee extract. Just by smelling them, you could tell the difference.

Homemade Hazelnut Syrup

Ingredients makes approximately 1-1/2 C syrup

• 2 C water
• 2 C granulated sugar
• 1 T hazelnut emulsion (or extract, if you don't have an emulsion)
• Also needed: saucepan and clean jar or bottle for storing syrup

Procedure

Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. The mixture should be slightly thickened and reduced.

Remove from heat and pour in your emulsion. Swirl or stir until the emulsion is evenly distributed throughout the syrup.

Once it's cool, pour into your jar or bottle. That's it!

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You may find LorAnn Oils on the web, 

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*Disclosure: I received product for free from the sponsor for recipe development, however, I have received no additional compensation for my post. My opinion is 100% my own and 100% accurate.