Sugars
Why we always have several types of sugar on hand in our kitchen. Sugar has uses other than just sweetening. In the test kitchen, we use it to accelerate the browning of meats, vegetables, and baked goods; to tenderize doughs; for textural contrast; and to stabilize meringues. Because different types of sugar taste and behave differently in cooking applications, we stock several kinds in the test kitchen. Here are the sugars we always have on hand, with notes on usage. White Granulated Sugar This common "table" sugar is (like all sugar) refined from sugar cane or beets; in taste tests, cane and beet sugars were indistinguishable from each other. The relatively fine crystals and neutral flavor make this sugar the most versatile sweetening agent. When processed to a smaller size, white sugar is known as superfine sugar. Brown Sugar Brown sugar, whether light or dark, is simply white sugar with molasses added. Dark brown sugar has more molasses and thus a stronger flavor than light brown. If brown sugar is exposed to air, moisture in the molasses can evaporate, causing the brown sugar to dry out. To revive hard brown sugar, spread the sugar on a pie plate (or square of aluminum foil) and place in a 250-degree oven for 3 to 7 minutes, checking often. Cool the softened sugar before using. * To approximate 1 cup of dark brown sugar, add 2 tablespoons of molasses to 1 cup of granulated sugar and pulse three or four times in a food processor; to approximate light brown sugar, add 1 tablespoon of molasses to 1 cup of granulated sugar and pulse. Confectioners' (Powdered) Sugar This sugar is ground to a fine powder and mixed with a small amount of cornstarch to prevent clumping. This sugar is preferred for icings and candy because it dissolves very easily; it is also used as a decorative dusting for baked goods. * To approximate 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, grind 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch together in a blender (a food processor will not work) for about 3 minutes. Turbinado Sugar Turbinado is a type of raw cane sugar: It's made from the residue remaining after sugar cane has been processed into granulated sugar. We don't use turbinado sugar in batters or doughs, because its large crystals do not readily dissolve in those applications. We prefer this sugar for topping muffins or other baked goods where its crunchy texture is desirable. " In the darkness, there is wonders of light that cannot be seen with the human eye " -Sugar --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
