Can I replace brown sugar with white sugar without using molasses in cookies?
I don't know if I can replace the brown sugar with white sugar because the recipe already calls for white sugar too.
Best Answer
Many recipes require both brown and white sugar. It is possible to substitute the brown sugar for the white sugar 1:1 but several things will change in your final result.
- Taste - Brown sugar is essentially white sugar with molasses. The molasses adds a malty thick complex sweetness. With just white sugar your cookie will have a less complex flavor.
Note: To combat #1, you can add a little bit of: honey, dark corn syrup, maple syrup, brown rice syrup or barley malt syrup to make up for the flavor loss.
- Texture - The white sugar will melt at a lower temperature meaning it will not be able to hold the shape of the cookie before the gluten sets. The sugar will melt and cause the dough to spread out. When using brown sugar, the dough will be able to set before the brown sugar melts. So when baking cookies, using all white sugar will result in a flat/thin crunchy cookie while using more brown sugar will result in a thicker, softer cookie.
Note: To mitigate #2 you can chill your dough before you bake the cookies to help prevent your dough from spreading too thin during the baking process.
If however you do have molasses, you can easily create your own brown sugar by mixing 1 cup white sugar with 1 tbsp molasses.
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Quick Answer about "Can I replace brown sugar with white sugar without using molasses in cookies?"
Yes. The only difference will be in color and taste. Just to state the obvious, light brown sugar makes baked goods with lighter color and milder flavor; dark brown, darker colored baked goods with more assertive (but still very mild) molasses flavor.Can I replace brown sugar with white sugar in cookies?
In most cases, you can use brown sugar and white sugar interchangeably. However, you may notice a difference in the texture of your baked goods. Brown sugar is naturally moist, so using it will result in baked goods that are softer and moister.How to Make A Molasses Substitute
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