Recipe: Lavender Simple Syrup & Cold-Brew Coffee

I've been a little obsessed with lavender simple syrup for a while now--two summers ago I made it for the first time while trying out a new cocktail recipe, but it wasn't until I had it at my favorite coffee shop in Minneapolis that I really fell for the flavor. Lavender and coffee, especially when iced, is such a fantastic combination and when the weather gets warmer, I can't help but make a big batch of both to fancy up my mornings.

Here's how I do both:

Lavender Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Four or five sprigs of fresh lavender

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, heat water and lavender to a simmer. Allow the lavender to steep in the water like tea for a few minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Store in a jar and add it to your iced coffee--I like mine with lots of ice and a splash of coconut creamer.

Cold-Brew Coffee

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of ground coffee
• 3 cups of water

Instructions:

1. In a large jar or other glass container, combine coffee and water. Stir well with a wooden spoon.
2. Cover and let stand overnight, or for at least eight hours. Strain with a coffee filter (a paper towel works in a pinch, too) and store in the refrigerator.

I took a couple photos of some purple flowers in our courtyard and hopped on my HP Sprout to make a few labels for my jars. I think fancy simple syrup in cute jars with custom labels would make great gifts for Mother's Day or even a sweet bridal shower (I wish I had this computer last year when I was making body scrub for my bachelorette party friends)!

This post is brought to you in partnership with HP. As always, I thank you for your support as I work with sponsors.

Photos by Joshua Vasko for Freckled Italian.