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

My logic was that, except you bothered to begin with a jar of notably scrumptious small-batch molasses, there have been no actual beneficial properties available—a logic that fell aside the second a good friend of mine known as in a panic as a result of she was out of brown sugar for her favourite dessert, with friends all however on her doorstep. Guiding her via the method of creating the swap was straightforward, she did not should drop all the things to drive to the shop, her bourbon pecan layer cake turned out stunning, and I realized the actual worth of selfmade brown sugar: expedience.

If you happen to 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 precise manner. Firstly, which means utilizing true molasses and never blackstrap, which ought to by no means be utilized in any recipe except it is known as for by identify (full report on that subject 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 may 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 excellent sense (and that is the formulation you will 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 bear in mind.*

Until a recipe calls particularly for “darkish brown sugar,” it is protected to imagine mild brown sugar is what the writer 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 sophisticated 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 received 7 3/4 ounces complete, making that molasses simply 9% of the whole weight. Now, chances are you’ll be pondering, “Shut sufficient,” however within the realm of baking, that may be a harmful factor. And not using a full 10% molasses content material, selfmade variations will behave extra like white sugar than brown, which might 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.

As a way to precisely mix your individual mild brown sugar at residence, it is necessary to do not forget that for nevertheless a lot molasses you add, that a lot white sugar wants to return out. Going again to my earlier instance, seven ounces of sugar ought to be diminished to six 1/4 ounces, in order that 3/4 ounce molasses might be 10% of the whole weight. Spelling it out sounds sophisticated, however do not overthink it. All it is advisable 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 an enormous batch that can preserve for a couple of month, however you probably have a scale, you may calculate precisely how a lot white sugar and molasses you will want to exchange any given amount of brown sugar. Simply multiply the burden of the brown sugar by 10% to learn how a lot molasses you will want, then subtract that quantity from the entire to find out the burden of the white sugar you will want. If you happen to 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 can give selfmade brown sugar a extra nuanced sweetness.

The precise shade of the outcomes will rely in your particular model of molasses and whether or not or not the sugar is toasted, however you may usually count on it to have a considerably redder undertone than conventional brown sugar (doubtless because of the deeper brown shades discovered in additional concentrated types of molasses). Ounce for ounce, selfmade 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 is going to behave in a lot the identical manner.

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

I am going to doubtless all the time desire the comfort of economic brown sugar, which is each reasonably priced, dependable, and engaging. However when push involves shove, figuring out the best way to make a comparable brown sugar from scratch is a trick all bakers ought to sustain their sleeves.