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
Varieties:
liquid sweeteners Notes: This category includes various syrups, honey, and molasses.
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
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.
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 Torani. To 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
honey
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.)
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 unsulfured. Sulfured 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) orzata
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.
palm syrup To make your own: melt palm sugar, then strain
rice bran syrup
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 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)
Thank you for all the great tips and tricks!
ReplyDeleteyou 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.
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