Forget pumpkin spice - rose geranium lattes should be your go-to Fall drink

The cooling temperatures mean just about everyone – from restaurant owners and cafe-dwellers to your chatty office cubicle neighbour – have pumpkin spice on the mind.

But there’s one Fall flavour that shouldn’t be forgotten: rose geranium.

A member of the geranium family, rose geranium is a small, delicate flower with a scent known to mimic that of a rose. Its leaves give off a light, bright aroma that makes for a refreshing perfume, like Bartholomew Sisters’ latest body mist. Not to mention, the smell is said to have relaxing properties, effectively reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety when used as an essential oil.

On top of this, the rose geranium’s velvety leaves – which grow year-round, even after the plant is done flowering – are edible. They can be mixed into baked goods, jams, and fruit dishes, to add flowery notes of flavour.

But at Bartholomew Sisters, we like to use extra leaves we don’t use for our new body mist to sweeten our coffee and tea. This simple syrup recipe is vegan, easy to make, and even easier to use. Simply whip up a batch and your convenience, jar it, and throw it into a breakfast tea or coffee to add a sweet touch of light rose taste. Top either one with a steamed non-dairy milk, and you’ve got yourself a vegan rose latte, perfect for staying warm on brisk Fall days.

Here are six easy steps to cooking up this simple syrup.

Rose geranium simple syrup

Total prep time: 15 minutes

Yield: Approx. 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 cups water

• 10-15 organic rose-scented geranium leaves, chopped or in large pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Stir the sugar and water together in a medium-sized saucepan. Set the heat to high, and allow the mix to come to a boil, while continuing to stir.

2. Add the rose-scented geranium leaves and continue stirring.

3. Cover the saucepan, then turn the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer until the syrup is fragrant (approximately five minutes).

4. Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan, allowing it to cool.

5. Once cooled, place a sieve or mesh strainer over a glass jar and pour the sauce over the strainer, allowing the liquid to pour through, while the leaves become separated from the mix.

6. Use syrup immediately in coffee or tea, or store in a cool space in a covered jar for future use.

Recipe adapted from agardenforthehouse.com.