My parents spend the holidays with close friends out of town and I wanted to send something along with them for these old family friends....

My parents spend the holidays with close friends out of town and I wanted to send something along with them for these old family friends. My mom suggested I make them gifts -- ideally something edible and festive. I was inspired by a recent post by Sarah B of My New Roots. Sarah published a post last week about making infused syrups for gifts. I really liked that idea and decided that I would give it a go on Sunday.





One of my parents' friends is diabetic so I used the opportunity as a chance to create a maple-syrup-free syrup for him. The syrup came out great and very mapley with no maple in sight. It is sweetened with low-GI sweeteners suitable for diabetics and coconut water (which actually has been shown to improve diabetes). The syrup gets its maple flavor from the strangest place -- FENUGREEK! When steeped, fenugreek pods give a maple like flavor and strong aroma. I thickened the syrup by adding a little tapioca starch which worked like a charm. Once the mixture cooled it was a really maple like and delicious. I found some great blue jars at a kitchen store and filled one up for a pretty presentation.





Though my "maple" syrup is lovely, I wanted to make another more seasonal syrup for his wife who is not diabetic. I decided to infuse a large amount of organic maple syrup with flavors of gingerbread. Cloves, cinnamon, vanilla bean, molasses and anise made their way into the jar, along with the maple and some coconut water to thin it out a bit. I stored it in the fridge overnight and by morning when I took a whiff of the syrup it smelled like I 'd been baking gingerbread men.





The best part about these two syrups is that they are simple, thoughtful and easy to prepare.You can pour them on anything from oatmeal to pancakes and the blue bottles make them a pretty holiday gift too. The ingredients are easy to find and you can make these syrups in a flash for last-minute holiday gifts or for yourself this holiday season.

Gingerbread Maple Syrup (vegan, gluten-free)

PART 1 1.5 cups Coconut Water

2-3 tbsp Blackstrap Molasses

1 tbsp Vanilla Extract



Mix together with a whisk in a bowl.



PART 2 5 star anise pods

1 tbsp whole cloves

1 tbsp fenugreek

1 tbsp ground ginger

1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp vanilla bean powder



Add to a large sealable decorative drink vessel.



PART 3 PART 1 mixture

Maple Syrup



Add all ingredients to fill the jar (not too full though). I recommend using a small funnel to add the liquid to the jar. Seal the jar and give it a good shake. Store in fridge before giving as gift.