Sugar substitution in baking question NVR
So, I'm moving to San Diego in December. My S/O has gone ahead of me to set up camp. ;)
I wanted to send him a little care package with baked goods. The problem is that he does not eat ANY processed sugar. The only forms of sugar he will eat are natural ones, i.e. maple syrup, honey.
I wanted to make him some chocolate chip cookies (saw some great recipes on here). The only problem is that they all call for white sugar and brown sugar. If I just substitute maple syrup or honey or agave syrup (?)... the batter will be too runny.
I know there must be a formula for this, i.e. X amount of maple syrup = X amount of extra dry.
Does anyone know what that formula is?
Conversely, I know there is that fruit sugar stuff out there. What is that? Is it processed? If not, can I combine it with molasses to make brown sugar? Is that even necessary?
I'd appreciate any help. I've never baked him cookies precisely for this reason, lol. But, now, I need to bake him something that will send well.
hmmm. i use agave nectar alllll the time and i never have a problem with too runny. i would say just use the normal amount or a fraction less. i don't know if you are very 'by the book' on baking but you really have a lot of wiggle room. if you just make it with the normal amount subbed exactly and it is too runny add a little more flour until t is your desired consistency.
Ah, interesting. I didn't know that it would be this simple. :-[
I rarely ever bake cookies. The last time I baked some must have been in high school. I'm more into bread baking, pastries, etc.
So, cookies are a new foray into baking for me. Good to know it's not something complex. I was getting ready for math equations and ratios of flour to liquid, lol.
nah, don't even worry about it. add more flour if you want the cookies to be less flat. less flour if more flat. yeah, it's pretty simple. but i bake a lot (trying to stop now because i am doing more raw...)
p.s. can i ask where in sd you are moving? i grew up there.
Well, it is more mathematical if you want to cookies to turn out the SAME as with sugar.
http://www.ochef.com/91.htm
In spite of their difference in weight, you can substitute brown sugar for granulated white on a 1 to 1 basis, and the most significant difference will be taste.
Substitute white sugar for brown sugar on a 1 to 1 basis, but add 4 tablespoons of molasses per cup, and decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.
To use honey in place of sugar, use 7/8 cup for every cup of sugar, and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.
To use sugar in place of honey, use 1-1/4 cups of sugar plus 1/4 cup more liquid.
To use maple syrup in place of sugar in cooking, use 3/4 cup for every 1 cup of sugar.
To use maple syrup in place of a cup of sugar in baking, use 3/4 cup, but decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by about 3 tablespoons for each cup of syrup you use.
To use sugar in place of a cup of maple syrup, use 1-1/4 cups of sugar plus 1/4 cup more liquid.
p.s. can i ask where in sd you are moving? i grew up there.
Carlsbad, CA. I'm hoping we won't be there more than a few years. It's a nice area, but I've fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest. But, for now, due to my S/O's business ... we'll be in Carlsbad.
Will he eat sucanat?
I tried that recently and LOVE it.
I use it as brown sugar with a tablespoon or so of molasass. But you can just sub it for white sugar too.
AS it says above, yes add molasses to "white sugar" for brown sugar.
If you don't follow these sub (say used white sugar for brown) the cookies will 95% of the time turn out ok. But they will not be as the recipe intended, which sometimes isn't bad, but I find with other vegan subs (egg) or fat subs (flax, applesauce) that it helps to stick to the recipe (at least mathmatically) sometimes on the sugar side.
PS Carlsbad rules :)
Well, it is more mathematical if you want to cookies to turn out the SAME as with sugar.
http://www.ochef.com/91.htm
In spite of their difference in weight, you can substitute brown sugar for granulated white on a 1 to 1 basis, and the most significant difference will be taste.
Substitute white sugar for brown sugar on a 1 to 1 basis, but add 4 tablespoons of molasses per cup, and decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.
To use honey in place of sugar, use 7/8 cup for every cup of sugar, and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.
To use sugar in place of honey, use 1-1/4 cups of sugar plus 1/4 cup more liquid.
To use maple syrup in place of sugar in cooking, use 3/4 cup for every 1 cup of sugar.
To use maple syrup in place of a cup of sugar in baking, use 3/4 cup, but decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by about 3 tablespoons for each cup of syrup you use.
To use sugar in place of a cup of maple syrup, use 1-1/4 cups of sugar plus 1/4 cup more liquid.
I knew there would be math! ;) ;D
Seriously - thanks for this. :)
Will he eat sucanat?
I tried that recently and LOVE it.
I use it as brown sugar with a tablespoon or so of molasass. But you can just sub it for white sugar too.
Is that the fruit sugar thing I was trying (so eloquently) to ask about?
Is it processed? I don't know if he would eat it otherwise. I've never seen him buy it, but then he's a cook, not so much a baker in terms of sweet stuff. I'd ask, but then it might ruin my baking surprise.
ehhh.... what can i say my free spirit extends to my cooking... but my cookies always taste delicious?
ehhh.... what can i say my free spirit extends to my cooking... but my cookies always taste delicious?
Of course they do!
But the numbers are always helpful too. ;)
Actually if I tried to do it without an idea of the subbing method I'd end up with liqiud cookies or something.
Sucanat is unrefined pure cane juice dehydrated into crystal-like form (I think!? ::))
ehhh.... what can i say my free spirit extends to my cooking... but my cookies always taste delicious?
Of course they do!
But the numbers are always helpful too. ;)
Actually if I tried to do it without an idea of the subbing method I'd end up with liqiud cookies or something.
Sucanat is unrefined pure cane juice dehydrated into crystal-like form (I think!? ::))
i think i make too many cookies, JH. i haven't used a recipe in god knows how long. a little of this, a little of that. eek :-X
Well, it is more mathematical if you want to cookies to turn out the SAME as with sugar.
http://www.ochef.com/91.htm
In spite of their difference in weight, you can substitute brown sugar for granulated white on a 1 to 1 basis, and the most significant difference will be taste.
Substitute white sugar for brown sugar on a 1 to 1 basis, but add 4 tablespoons of molasses per cup, and decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.
To use honey in place of sugar, use 7/8 cup for every cup of sugar, and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.
To use sugar in place of honey, use 1-1/4 cups of sugar plus 1/4 cup more liquid.
To use maple syrup in place of sugar in cooking, use 3/4 cup for every 1 cup of sugar.
To use maple syrup in place of a cup of sugar in baking, use 3/4 cup, but decrease the total amount of liquid in the recipe by about 3 tablespoons for each cup of syrup you use.
To use sugar in place of a cup of maple syrup, use 1-1/4 cups of sugar plus 1/4 cup more liquid.
YES. I can't emphasize enough how much you need to try to maintain the same level of liquid/fat in the recipe. If you're using apple sauce or maple syrup or honey... you HAVE to REMOVE liquids in another way. Adding flour throws off the recipe. It gets the same consistency, but you spread the flavor out over a larger dough. On top of that, the dough might get brittle, because there isn't enough fat to go around. Fat makes the dough more tender and blocks gluten formation... it also helps with lift and spreading.
Wow. You guys are all so knowledgable. :)
Thanks. This is all very, very helpful.
hespedal - I never follow recipes when baking bread, cakes, pies, etc. I eyeball everything and just get it right automatically. You probably do the same with cookies.
Wow. You guys are all so knowledgable. :)
Thanks. This is all very, very helpful.
hespedal - I never follow recipes when baking bread, cakes, pies, etc. I eyeball everything and just get it right automatically. You probably do the same with cookies.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
Eye ball baking?
Experience.
I've been baking for close to 10 years now. After a few years of following recipes exactly (I did that in the beginning), you branch out to your own experiements. Trial and error ensues.
After a while, you get a feel for what a cup of flour looks like, what a tablespoon of baking soda looks like, what a pinch of salt is, etc. You know what combinations will work out, which won't, etc.
So, then you can just whip stuff together without recipes or measuring.
Until you come across a new area of baking which you haven't yet tried. Like cookies for me. Then you repeat the whole process over, lol.
It's a talent some people (not I) have.
I've been cooking and baking for...well, let's just say a long time...and I still have to follow recipes for most everything. I can look at a recipe and tell whether or not it'll be a good one, but I don't do well trying to create my own. *sigh* :P
It's a talent some people (not I) have.
I've been cooking and baking for...well, let's just say a long time...and I still have to follow recipes for most everything. I can look at a recipe and tell whether or not it'll be a good one, but I don't do well trying to create my own. *sigh* :P
i can't create my own, either. well, in terms of writing them anyway. but everything i made is just thrown together... i think it is harder for me to follow a recipe exactly than to just make my own thing.