Home | Sweet Spot | Winter 2007 Newsletter

A Darker Shade of Sweet

We love every one of C&H Sugar's seven varieties, but we have a special fondness for our Golden Brown and Dark Brown Pure Cane Sugars. Their distinctive molasses flavor—subtle in Golden Brown, robust in Dark Brown—can add richness and depth to dozens of dishes served at any meal of the day. At breakfast, sprinkle brown sugar over hot oatmeal; for lunch or dinner, mix it into candied sweet potatoes; for dessert, blend it into cakes or melt it on top of custards.

In celebration of C&H Brown Sugar being given the ChefsBest™ Award, we're starting the new year with some of our favorite brown sugar recipes, along with tips for getting the most out of this versatile and essential ingredient.

Brown How-To's
Real molasses—not sprayed-on brown coloring—gives our brown sugars their beautiful hues. Molasses also adds moisture to brown sugar, and it's important to maintain that moisture by storing brown sugar in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. The zip-seal plastic bag in which we sell our two-pound quantity makes a good short-term storage solution; to keep brown sugar fresh longer, transfer it to an airtight container and store it away from sources of light and heat. You can also freeze brown sugar (place the bag inside a freezer bag first) to extend its usable life. Allow the sugar to come to room temperature before using it in a recipe.

Because dark brown sugar has a stronger molasses flavor than golden brown sugar, it's a good idea to follow recipe suggestions about using each variety. In general, golden brown sugar is your best choice for butterscotch and glazes; dark brown sugar is ideally suited for baked beans, mincemeat, gingerbread, and other full-flavored dishes. For some recipes, such as candied nuts, let your own tastebuds be your guide.

Always remember to pack brown sugar firmly into a measuring cup or spoon until it's level; when you invert the cup or spoon, the sugar should hold its shape.

Brown Sugar from Soup…
How versatile are C&H Pure Cane brown sugars? So versatile you can include them in everything from soup to nuts…literally!

Take, for example, Creamy Pumpkin Soup, a warming and soothing midwinter first course or mid-afternoon snack. Two teaspoons of C&H Dark Brown Sugar bring out the natural sweetness of the pumpkin and balance the flavors of onion, garlic, and cinnamon. Brown sugar also creates a superb glaze for vegetables, as in Lemon Glazed Carrots and Glazed Ginger Broccoli and Carrots; and dark brown sugar puts the "candied" in Orange Candied Sweet Potatoes. And we can't imagine baked beans without the molasses flavor of brown sugar: try Baked Beans Hawaiian, made with golden brown sugar and two cans of pineapple chunks, for a family dinner or potluck.

Ready for the main course? Our Barbecued Spare Ribs recipe was developed in 1948, the year we introduced C&H Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar, and it's still a winner! Shrimp on a Stick is another classic: a little sweet, a little spicy, these piquant prawns make great appetizer to pass around at a party. Cedar-Planked Salmon is a more recent addition to our recipe box and a consistent hit with readers; a one-use cedar plank, available at many fish counters, specialty kitchen stores, and online retailers, imparts the deliciously smoky flavor.

…to Nuts!
Of course, desserts are where our brown sugars really get their chance to shine. Classic puddings like Caramel Bread Pudding (made with golden brown sugar) and Scotch Rice Pudding (made with dark brown) have been favorite comfort foods for generations. And sophisticated Crème Brulée gets its crackly caramel topping from a layer of golden brown sugar melted under the broiler.

Vary your shortbread repertoire with Spicy Brown Sugar Shortbread, which has a beautifully toasty color and the complementary flavors of orange, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Bake Pumpkin Drop Cookies—brimming with raisins and nuts—for a crowd: the recipe makes seven dozen! To create the "quilt" pattern in Patchwork Quilt Cookies, all you need is a toothpick; to create the flavor, you'll need dark brown sugar and plenty of spices.

Some of our favorite cake recipes rely on brown sugar for their color, consistency, and taste. Baked in a single square pan, Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Cake uses white and brown sugars as well as rolled oats, chocolate chips (drizzled on top), and, of course, peanut butter! Brown Sugar Pound Cake, with its subtle molasses flavor, is an easy variation on a classic. For a lot of brown sugar flavor, bake our double-layered Double Caramel Cake with caramel frosting; for just a little brown sugar flavor, make our Basic White Layer Cake—as a cake or cupcakes—and frost with Easy Penuche Frosting.

And for snacking or for gift-giving, you simply can't improve on candied nuts. Two of our favorite recipes: Sugared Walnuts, made irresistibly spicy with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; and Brown Sugar Peppered Almonds, which combine the kick of freshly ground pepper with the sweetness of dark brown sugar. For extra zest, add a dash of chili powder!