I love brown sugar! I've started using it in more & more of my cooking & baking. But, yesterday while making my all too awesome meatloaf glaze, I found that my open bag of dark sugary goodness is hard & completely unusable.
Brown sugar gets its brown color from adding molasses to white sugar; it comes in light & dark versions depending on how much molasses is added. It is very yummy & appears in a lot of recipes, but can be really tough to keep light & fluffy.
The proper way to store brown sugar is in an air tight container or tightly sealed plastic bag. If your brown sugar is hard as rock and would make a better door stop than cookies, there is hope. To soften your brown sugar place an apple slice in a plastic bag and leave tightly sealed for for a day or two.
The proper way to store brown sugar is in an air tight container or tightly sealed plastic bag. If your brown sugar is hard as rock and would make a better door stop than cookies, there is hope. To soften your brown sugar place an apple slice in a plastic bag and leave tightly sealed for for a day or two.
Here is a video from the molasses episode of "Good Eats" with Alton Brown; enjoy a recipe for brown sugar at the 6min mark (the recipe is also below).
Brown Sugar Recipes
Homemade Dark Brown Sugar
recipe by Alton Brown
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-dark-brown-sugar-recipe/index.html
Ingredients:
1 pound granulated sugar
3 ounces molasses, by weight
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-dark-brown-sugar-recipe/index.html
Ingredients:
1 pound granulated sugar
3 ounces molasses, by weight
Directions:
Place the sugar and molasses into the bowl of a food processor and process until the molasses is completely incorporated into the sugar, approximately 1 minute. If necessary, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place in an airtight container and store for up to a month.
Place the sugar and molasses into the bowl of a food processor and process until the molasses is completely incorporated into the sugar, approximately 1 minute. If necessary, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Place in an airtight container and store for up to a month.
Melanie's Meatloaf Glaze
recipe by Melanie Ann
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
3/4 tablespoon mustard
3/4 tablespoon packed brown sugar
Directions:
Mix ketchup, mustard & brown sugar together until all the lumps are out. Bake your favorite meatloaf until there is 30 minutes left to the cooking time, brush the glaze over the top of the meatloaf & return to the oven for the remaining half hour.
If you are making a small loaf or a very large loaf you can adjust the amounts as needed to cover the loaf(s), just use the following ratio: 2 parts ketchup, 1 part mustard, 1 part brown sugar.
Graham Crackers
recipe by Alton Brown
recipe by Alton Brown
Ingredients:
8 3/8 ounces graham flour
1 7/8 ounces all-purpose flour
3 ounces dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and chilled
2 1/4 ounces molasses
1 1/2 ounces whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 3/8 ounces graham flour
1 7/8 ounces all-purpose flour
3 ounces dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and chilled
2 1/4 ounces molasses
1 1/2 ounces whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Place both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the molasses, milk and vanilla extract and process until the dough forms a ball, approximately 1 minute. Press the ball into a 1/2-inch thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Unwrap the chilled dough and place it onto a large piece of parchment paper and top with a second sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough out until it is 1/8-inch thick. Slide the rolled dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and cut the dough, using a rolling pizza cutter into 2-inch square pieces, by making vertical and then horizontal cuts all the way across the dough. Trim off any excess. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the dough. Leave the crackers on the pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 minutes or until the edges just start to darken. Remove from the oven, set the sheet pan with the crackers on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once completely cool, break into individual crackers and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Place both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the molasses, milk and vanilla extract and process until the dough forms a ball, approximately 1 minute. Press the ball into a 1/2-inch thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Unwrap the chilled dough and place it onto a large piece of parchment paper and top with a second sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough out until it is 1/8-inch thick. Slide the rolled dough and parchment paper onto a half sheet pan. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and cut the dough, using a rolling pizza cutter into 2-inch square pieces, by making vertical and then horizontal cuts all the way across the dough. Trim off any excess. Using a fork, poke holes all over the top of the dough. Leave the crackers on the pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 minutes or until the edges just start to darken. Remove from the oven, set the sheet pan with the crackers on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once completely cool, break into individual crackers and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Salmon with brown sugar and mustard glaze
recipe by Bobby Flay
Ingredients:
Salmon:
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
Vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each
Directions:
On the side burner, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon fillets with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes to medium doneness, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes.
On the side burner, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool.
Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon fillets with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes to medium doneness, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes.
Awesome! Thanks for the tip!
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