Vanilla Almond Coffee

Why this works

Almond extract is mostly benzaldehyde, the compound that gives bitter almonds, cherry stones and marzipan their smell. It is extraordinarily potent. A few drops scent a whole bottle of syrup, and a careless half teaspoon makes the coffee taste of cough sweets and cheap marzipan. That is why it is measured by the eighth of a teaspoon here, and why this syrup is milder than most commercial almond syrups.

Vanilla is the softer half. Vanilla extract carries vanillin along with hundreds of minor compounds that give it a rounded, creamy sweetness. It smooths the sharper benzaldehyde, and together they read as almond pastry rather than as either flavour alone. Both suit coffee because they add the impression of sweetness through smell, so a little sugar goes further.

Making a syrup rather than adding extracts straight to the cup has two advantages. It measures the extracts across ten mugs, which is far easier than dropping a quarter of a drop into one, and the sugar is already dissolved, so it works in iced coffee too. Adding the extracts off the heat keeps their alcohol and aroma from evaporating.

Flavoured coffee beans use similar compounds sprayed onto the beans after roasting. They tend to taste stronger and more artificial, and they stale faster. A syrup made with real extracts gives a cleaner result with any coffee you already like.

Variations

• Iced vanilla almond latte: 20 ml syrup in cold milk over ice with a double espresso.
• With toasted almonds: crushed toasted almonds scattered over the foam.
• Sugar-free: stir the extracts straight into a batch of unsweetened coffee, three drops of almond per litre.
• With amaretto: the adult version. See amaretto coffee.