Holland’s Yvette van Boven is an acclaimed cookbook author, recipe developer and host of the country’s popular cooking show, Koken Met van Boven. She also loves the holidays and is never short on ideas for Christmas celebrations.
This recipe, made using fresh pine needles, is the perfect example. It adds aroma and flavor to a simple glass of sparkling water over ice and can elevate a cup of cocoa into sippable winter. Poured into a fancy glass bottle and wrapped with a bundle of the pine used to make it, it’s a thoughtful gift for any cocktail enthusiast, foodie or gracious party host.
Yvette van Boven’s Pine Syrup
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
About 7 ounces pine twigs, preferably new growth, but at Christmas we make do with ordinary branches
1 cup sugar (the flavor — cane, granulated, dark brown — determines the flavor of the syrup)
3 slices fresh ginger (optional)
Few drops freshly-squeezed lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
Rinse the pine branches and cut them into smaller pieces. Strip the needles off the branches — or leave them on. The resin taste from the branches is a little stronger than when you use only the needles. You can play around with that. I always use the entire branch.
Put the pine in a saucepan with the sugar, ginger (if using), and ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Cover the pan and allow to steep for a few hours, or preferably an evening or overnight. The longer it steeps, the stronger it will taste.
Strain the syrup through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Season it, if you wish, with a few drops of lemon juice, and keep it in a squeaky-clean jar or bottle in the fridge. It will keep for at least a month.
Warning: Use real pine branches, from your Christmas tree, for example. Do not use yew tree branches. If you’re not certain, Google images for yew. It’s a poisonous tree, but it looks like a dark green pine when you squint. The yew tree is the kind of shrub that clutters up boring old gardens, and is quite common, so be alert.
— From Yvette van Boven’s “Home Made Christmas” (Abrams, $35)
