I’m not the best at planning ahead for what I want to bake. Not by a long shot. Sometimes that means “interesting” substitutions like strawberries for blueberries or carob for chocolate; other times it’s just a pain.
The kind of sugar you use in recipes is very important. Besides being sweet, each type offers its own flavor and texture. You use powdered sugar in frosting recipes so that the result is smooth and not grainy while you use brown sugar in cookie recipes to get a rich, dark buttery flavor.
If you’re in a pinch and only have white sugar on hand, you’re in luck. With standard cane sugar you can make both brown and powdered sugar.
How to make brown sugar
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons molasses
Method:
- Mix both of the ingredients thoroughly.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month
You can also use this process to make maple sugar by substituting maple syrup in for the molasses. While the nutritional benefits of maple sugar can’t be imitated, the light, amber flavor comes through.
How to make powdered sugar
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn or tapioca starch
Method:
- Combine the sugar and starch in a food processor or high-powered blender.
- Mix on high for 5-10 minutes until the sugar is pulverized to the consistency of powdered sugar.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
If you have the option, buy and stock up on these types of sugar at the store; while these homemade ones are good last minute substitutions, they aren’t exactly the same quality you can buy. Also make sure that you’re starting out with white sugar and not something with color like turbinado sugar which has too much moisture in it.
Hope you found this post helpful. Now that Summer’s here and backyard barbeques are back, I for one will be going through bags of sugar like crazy.
I had no idea about the molasses trick – that’s so handy!
you’re so handy. Come live in my pantry?
Great post! I didn’t know thats how they made brown sugar! Pretty cool!!
I always make my own powdered sugar because I often make treats for my nieces and nephews and one of them has a severe corn allergy. No corn starch used in this house or ingredients that contain it.
Love this post and adore those two photos!
Thanks for the pins, Russell!
wait. what?!? this is why i almost failed chemistry.
molasses trick is pretty cool.
[...] Did the cupcakes come out of the oven and you are just now realizing that you only have 1 cup of powdered sugar? Make your own. [...]