No Brown Sugar? This Easy 2-Ingredient Repair Works Each Time

Made-from-scratch brown sugar is not a brand new thought by any stretch, however up to now, it wasn’t one thing I ever cared about. Partially, I used to be skeptical {that a} “home made” mixture of refined white sugar and mass-produced molasses may someway style any higher than “actual” brown sugar…a mixture of refined white sugar and mass-produced molasses.

My logic was that, until you bothered to begin with a jar of significantly scrumptious small-batch molasses, there have been no actual good points available—a logic that fell aside the second a pal of mine referred to as in a panic as a result of she was out of brown sugar for her favourite dessert, with visitors all however on her doorstep. Guiding her via the method of constructing the swap was simple, she did not must drop every little thing to drive to the shop, her bourbon pecan layer cake turned out stunning, and I discovered the actual worth of home made brown sugar: expedience.

Should you ever run out of brown sugar, falling again on a jar of molasses to whip up an emergency batch is a superb plan B—as long as you go about it the best method. Firstly, meaning utilizing true molasses and never blackstrap, which ought to by no means be utilized in any recipe until it is referred to as for by identify (full report on that matter right here). The second half of the equation is definitely understanding the equation. See, store-bought brown sugar is about 10% molasses by weight, however that does not imply you’ll be able to simply multiply a given weight of white sugar by 0.1 to find out how a lot molasses is required. At first blush, that calculation makes good sense (and that is the components you may see bandied about most frequently on-line), nevertheless it winds up making the brown sugar too mild. Even lighter than mild brown sugar, which is what most recipes keep in mind.*

Until a recipe calls particularly for “darkish brown sugar,” it is protected to imagine mild brown sugar is what the creator meant. Making darkish brown sugar is about including not simply extra molasses but in addition darker molasses, and, for the aim of this submit, that is a bit extra difficult a subject than I am ready to unpack.

For a cup of white sugar (seven ounces), 10% is about one tablespoon (3/4 ounce), which is fairly handy for folk measuring by quantity. However as soon as the white sugar and molasses are blended collectively, you have obtained 7 3/4 ounces complete, making that molasses simply 9% of the overall weight. Now, it’s possible you’ll be considering, “Shut sufficient,” however within the realm of baking, that may be a harmful factor. And not using a full 10% molasses content material, home made variations will behave extra like white sugar than brown, which may have a huge impact on cookies particularly, altering how they unfold, rise, and brown. You may take a look at a full breakdown of these variations right here.

So as to precisely mix your individual mild brown sugar at dwelling, it is essential to keep in mind that for nonetheless a lot molasses you add, that a lot white sugar wants to return out. Going again to my earlier instance, seven ounces of sugar must be decreased to six 1/4 ounces, in order that 3/4 ounce molasses shall be 10% of the overall weight. Spelling it out sounds difficult, however do not overthink it. All that you must bear in mind is that 6 1/4 ounces of white sugar plus 3/4 ounce molasses equals seven ounces of brown sugar.

You can also make up a giant batch that may preserve for a couple of month, however if in case you have a scale, you’ll be able to calculate precisely how a lot white sugar and molasses you may want to interchange any given amount of brown sugar. Simply multiply the load of the brown sugar by 10% to learn how a lot molasses you may want, then subtract that quantity from the entire to find out the load of the white sugar you may want. Should you occur to have any calmly toasted sugar readily available, maybe left over from blind-baking a pie, it may be used like white sugar so as to add some caramel notes that may give home made brown sugar a extra nuanced sweetness.

The precise colour of the outcomes will rely in your particular model of molasses and whether or not or not the sugar is toasted, however you’ll be able to sometimes anticipate it to have a considerably redder undertone than conventional brown sugar (possible as a result of deeper brown shades discovered in additional concentrated types of molasses). Ounce for ounce, home made brown sugar is extra voluminous than what you discover on the retailer, just because it hasn’t had an opportunity to compact over time. However, as long as it is measured precisely, in each preparation and use, it would behave in a lot the identical method.

On the left, we now have samples from a batch of my favourite One-Bowl Oatmeal Cookies made with industrial brown sugar, and, on the best, cookies made with DIY brown sugar. Whereas they unfold a bit of extra irregularly total, the latter cookies nonetheless averaged about three inches throughout. If I abruptly found I used to be 86’d on brown sugar, I might gladly take that discrepancy over the choice of getting no cookies in any respect.

I will possible at all times favor the comfort of business brown sugar, which is each inexpensive, dependable, and engaging. However when push involves shove, understanding find out how to make a comparable brown sugar from scratch is a trick all bakers ought to sustain their sleeves.

February 2017