The secret ingredient in many professional layer cakes and a kind of magic to the home baker is called simple syrup and it’s precisely that: a syrup made simply of equal parts water and sugar.

So you’re really, really into food. You also have no idea how to cook it. I get it, I’ve been there. There are more of us than you might think: Younger Americans grew up in a system awash in ...

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Steeping chiles and fresh ginger slices in basic simple syrup infuses it with a kick ideal for the holidays. You can add more of one or the other if you’d like more warm gingery heat or chile spice.