Saturday, October 16, 2010

Sites for liquid sweetener substitutions

Okay, I've found myself getting lost in recipes on the Tropical Traditions website.
I've been slowly changing my diet, and I have all sorts of new flours such as soy, almond, flax, and now coconut.  I will may or may not keep up my stock of some of these, but for now it's nice to have them to try all of these amazing recipes that I have recently found.  But I have not gotten many new sugar options. I have Splenda, Stevia, and of course regular white sugar and brown sugar, and honey. I'm still working on looking into any other substitutes that I would like to keep around, and I'm thinking about brown rice syrup and coconut sugar.  But for now these are not yet a part of my pantry.  So I needed some ideas for substitutions, and I thought I should share them with others.
The Cook's Thesaurus has many different helps, and these are the one's I needed help with tonight. 
I have a brownie recipe that came in with my coconut flour order, and I'm thinking that this weekend would be a great time to try it out.  So I will be substituting brown rice sugar for honey since I do happen to have that in my pantry.  Change does take time, and I'm taking it one step at a time.

Liquid Sweeteners
liquid sweeteners   Notes:  This category includes various syrups, honey, and molasses.  
Varieties:
almond syrup
barley malt syrup = barley syrup = malt syrup = dark malt syrup = malted cereal syrup = extract of malted barley  Notes:  This tastes a bit like molasses, and it's not as sweet as sugar or honey.  It's mostly used to make beer, but it's also used to make breads or other baked goods.   Substitutes:  molasses (1 cup barley malt syrup = 2/3 cup molasses) OR rice bran syrup (1 cup barley malt syrup = 4/3 rice bran syrup) OR maple syrup
black treacle = dark treacle  Pronunciation:  TREE-cull   Shopping hints:   This is the British version of America's blackstrap molasses.  It's common in Britain, but hard to find in the United States. Look for it in specialty markets.  Don't confuse this with golden syrup, which is sometimes called light treacle.   Substitutes:   blackstrap molasses OR molasses OR golden syrup (Many cooks prefer this over black treacle for their treacle puddings and tarts, since it's less bitter.)

blackstrap molasses = black strap molasses   Notes:   This has a strong, bitter flavor, and it's not very sweet.  It's sometimes used to make chili.  Look for it in health food stores.

brown rice syrup = rice syrup = rice bran syrup = rice malt = yinnie syrup   Notes:   Health buffs like this because it contains complex sugars, which are absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream.  It's about half as sweet as ordinary table sugar. Some rice syrups include barley malt, and may pose a problem for people with gluten allergies.  Substitutes:  maple syrup (substitute 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons liquid for each cup of brown rice syrup) OR molasses (substitute 1/2 cup for each cup of brown rice syrup) OR barley malt syrup (substitute 3/4 cup for each cup of brown rice syrup) OR honey (substitute 3/4 C honey plus 2 tablespoons liquid for every cup of brown rice syrup)
coconut syrup   Notes:   Hawaiians like to pour this syrup on pancakes, but it's also used in several mixed drinks.  To make your own:   See the recipe for coconut syrup posted on kitchenmixes.com.   Substitutes:  cream of coconut (for mixed drinks)

Falernum  Notes:  This is a Caribbean cane syrup that's delicately flavored and slightly alcoholic.  It's sometimes used in rum-based cocktails.  Substitutes: simple syrup (less expensive)
flavored syrups  Notes:  These are often used to flavor Italian sodas or coffee.  They come in dozens of flavors, but some of the most popular are vanilla, almond, raspberry, Irish cream, and hazelnut.  Popular brands include d'Arbo, Monin, and ToraniTo make your own:  Make a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water, then add flavored extract to taste.  Store in the refrigerator.  Substitutes:   liqueur OR fruit syrup OR syrup from cans of fruit packed in heavy syrup
fruit syrups
golden syrup = cane juice = jus de canne = cane syrup = sugar cane juice = light treacle   Notes:    This amber-colored liquid sweetener is popular among British, Caribbean, and Creole cooks.  It's made by evaporating sugar cane juice until it's thick and syrupy.  Lyle's Golden Syrup and Steen's Pure Cane Syrup are popular brands.   Substitutes:  Combine two parts light corn syrup plus one part molasses OR equal parts honey and corn syrup OR maple syrup (This is thinner, and not as sweet.) OR dark corn syrup (This is thnner and not as sweet as golden syrup.  If you like, try reducing the corn syrup in a saucepan to thicken it.) OR light corn syrup (This is thnner and not as sweet or flavorful as golden syrup.  If you like, try reducing the corn syrup in a saucepan to thicken it.)
honey
Karo syrup
khus syrup  Notes:  Indians use this to make desserts and drinks.  Substitutes:  rose syrup



maple syrup   Notes:   Made from the sap of sugar maples, maple syrup is a traditional topping for pancakes, waffles, and French toast.   It's also used to make candies, frostings, candied yams, meat glazes, and baked beans.  Lighter syrups usually have a more delicate flavor.  Refrigerate after opening.  Don't confuse authentic maple syrup with the cheaper and more commonly used pancake syrup, which are based on corn syrup.  Substitutes:  pancake syrup OR berry syrup (on pancakes) OR brown rice syrup OR brown sugar (on hot cereals) OR light molasses (on pancakes or hot cereals) OR honey thinned with apple juice OR granulated sugar (If you're baking, substitute 1 cup sugar for every 3/4 cup of maple syrup, then increase the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons per cup of sugar.  If baking soda is used, decrease the amount by 1/4 teaspoon per cup of sugar substituted, since sugar is less acidic than maple syrup.)

mint syrup   To make your own:  See the Mint Syrup recipe on CooksRecipes.com.
molasses = treacle   Pronunciation:  muh-LASS-sis Equivalents:  One cup = 8 ounces Notes:    Sugar is made by extracting juice from sugar cane or sugar beets, boiling them, and then extracting the sugar crystals.  Molasses is the thick, syrupy residue that's left behind in the vats.  It has a sweet, distinctive flavor, and it's a traditional ingredient in such things as gingerbread, baked beans, rye bread, and shoofly pie.  There are several different varieties.  Light molasses = sweet molasses = mild molasses = Barbados molasses is taken from the first boiling.  It's the sweetest and mildest, and is often used as a pancake syrup or a sweetener for beverages.  Dark molasses = full molasses = full-flavored molasses is left behind after the juices are boiled a second time.  It's less sweet but more flavorful than light molasses, and it's a good choice if a recipe simply calls for molasses. Blackstrap molasses comes from the third and final boiling.  It's too strong and bitter for most recipes, and it's mostly consumed for its alleged nutritional benefits.  Most of the molasses sold in supermarkets is unsulfuredSulfured molasses has sulfur dioxide added as a preservative, and isn't as mild and sweet as unsulfured molasses.  Food grade molasses is almost always made from sugar cane.  Sugar beet molasses is very bitter and is mostly used as cattle feed or as a medium for growing yeast.  When measuring molasses, grease the cup and utensils to keep molasses from sticking.  If your molasses crystallizes while being stored, heat it gently to dissolve the crystals.  After opening, you can store molasses in your cupboard.  Substitutes: dark corn syrup OR maple syrup (works well in gingerbread cookies) OR honey OR barley malt syrup (weaker flavor; use 1/3 less) OR brown sugar (Substitute 1.5 cups brown sugar for every 1 cup molasses)
orgeat = orzata = almond syrup  Pronunciation:  OR-zhat   Notes:   This sweet almond-flavored syrup is used in many mixed drinks.  Look for it in liquor stores.  To make your own:  See the Almond Syrup recipe on the ichef website.
orzata
palm syrup   To make your own: melt palm sugar, then strain

pancake syrup = maple-flavored syrup    Notes:  This is the inexpensive version of maple syrup that Americans love to pour on pancakes and waffles.  It's usually based on corn syrup, and flavored either with artificial flavoring or real maple syrup.  To make your own:   See the recipe for  Mock Maple Syrup on RecipeSource.  Substitutes:  maple syrup OR berry syrup (on pancakes) OR brown rice syrup OR brown sugar (on hot cereals) OR light molasses (on pancakes or hot cereals) OR honey thinned with apple juice OR granulated sugar (If you're baking, substitute 1 cup sugar for every 3/4 cup of maple syrup, then increase the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons per cup of sugar.  If baking soda is used, decrease the amount by 1/4 teaspoon per cup of sugar substituted, since sugar is less acidic than maple syrup.)
rice bran syrup
rice malt
rice syrup
simple syrup = sugar syrup   Notes:   This is a mixture of sugar and water that's brought to a boil and simmered for about five minutes so that the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes syrupy.  When it cools, it's used to make mixed drinks, liqueurs, baked goods, sorbets, sauces, and many other things.   The thickness of the syrup depends upon the ratio of sugar to water used.   Many simple syrup recipes call for equal parts sugar and water.  For a thinner syrup, combine two parts water with one part sugar.  Rock candy syrup, a heavy syrup used to make some liqueurs and mixed drinks, is made with two parts sugar and one part water.   

sorghum molasses = sorghum syrup   Notes:  This is made from sorghum cane juice, and Southerners sometimes use it instead of molasses to make things like barbecue sauce, baked beans, and gingerbread.  Look for it in health food stores.   Substitutes:  golden syrup OR molasses (not as sweet)

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for all the great tips and tricks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. you are so welcome! I like to have a quick easy reference for all the great things that I have found, and I think sharing is good. I'm hoping that it will make my life changes easier. I'm also hoping that these brownies turn out good. The stevia recipes have been less than exciting, so hopefully the coconut flour ones will be nicer. I will keep on trying and posting things as I learn. DH is pretty good about letting me experiment.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...