Healthy Baking: Sugar Substitutes Stirring a packet of sweetener into your cup of coffee is one thing. Baking with sugar substitutes is quite another. If youve tried it, youve probably experienced some ups and downs. Sugar substitutes often cant stand up to the prolonged heat of the oven, causing baked goods to lose volume, taste less sweet, show tunneling, or appear crumbly and lighter in color than goods baked with sugar. On the other hand, sweeteners sometimes offer significant savings in calories and carbs, which can be a welcome option for fitting baked treats into your meal plan. With the help of the baking experts and dietitians in the Better Homes and Gardens® Test Kitchen, we performed test after test to bring you our best recommendations for achieving great taste and appearance when baking with sugar substitutes. We note the brands that gave us the sweetest results. 1. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract for every 1/2 cup of sugar substitute used in a recipe to enhance flavor. For the best quality and flavor, choose pure vanilla extract. 2. Flatten cookie dough before baking by gently pressing dough rounds with your palm. Sugar substitutes often prevent cookie dough from spreading. 3. Use cold brewed coffee in place of some of the liquid in chocolate-flavored recipes to enrich the chocolate notes. 4. Create volume by using whipped egg whites in place of whole eggs. Use two egg whites for every egg called for in the original recipe. 5. Reduce air tunnels in baked goods by cutting the fat into dry ingredients before adding the liquid ingredients. Use a pastry blender for best results. 6. Achieve more height by switching from 9-inch pans to 8-inch round or square pans with 2-inch-tall sides. 7. Sugar substitutes tend to absorb moisture faster than real sugar, which can cause the crust layer to crumble. Refrigeration helps the bars stay moist and tender. 8. Avoid the metallic aftertaste some sugar substitutes leave behind by choosing citrus flavors. For best sugar substitute results, use SweetN Low bulk or packets. 9. Using sugar substitutes may prevent browning of crusts. Bake the pie shells before filling them with the pecan mixture to achieve the perfect piecrust texture and light brown color. For best results, use Splenda Sugar Blend and agave syrup.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 23:14:25 +0000
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