How can I substitute or make soft brown sugar?
I have just moved to Germany. I haven't yet been able to find brown sugar of the type we have in Australia ie: soft, small grained, slightly sticky in that it holds its shape well when you dig a spoonful out. The only brown sugars I have seen are granular. You can also buy molasses.
Crushing the granular sugar is both labour-intensive and not that successful.
Any ideas on the ratios of different sugar products required to produce a 'soft brown sugar'?
As context, I tend to use soft brown sugars in things like fruit crumble toppings, as a base for a very dark caramel sauce, and also as a substitute for palm sugar when (as in Germany) it's difficult to get hold of. The granular sugars don't behave in quite the same way when melting/added to hot sauces.
Best Answer
Put the regular (refined white) sugar and molasses (about 2 tablespoons per cup of sugar) in a food processor and give it a spin. Use more or less molasses as needed to get the color and consistency that you want.
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Quick Answer about "How can I substitute or make soft brown sugar?"
White sugar plus molasses A combination of white sugar and molasses is your best bet for a brown sugar substitute, as that's exactly what brown sugar is made of (1). To make your own light brown sugar, mix 1 cup (200 grams) of granulated white sugar with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of molasses.How can I make soft brown sugar at home?
For light brown sugar: use ONE tablespoon molasses per ONE cup of granulated sugar. For dark brown sugar: use TWO tablespoons molasses per ONE cup of granulated sugar.Can I make soft brown sugar?
How To Soften Brown Sugar. If you're wondering how to make sugar soft after it's gotten too hard, you can always use your microwave. Place everything hardened in a microwave-safe bowl then place a damp paper towel on top. Microwave on medium for 30 seconds, or until it's soft.Can you use normal brown sugar instead of soft brown sugar?
The good news is that light and dark brown sugar are interchangeable: You're not going to ruin your cookies, your crumble, or your banana bread by swapping one for the other.What are baking substitutions for brown sugar? | Land O’Lakes Culinary Team
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Answer 2
This doesn't directly answer your question, but a good substitution for brown sugar that is generally easy to find internationally is Jaggery. I find it substitutes very well. You should be able to find it at any Indian grocery.
Answer 3
I've only done this once, and it worked out pretty well, but I used a combination of golden syrup and regular granulated brown sugar as a substitute. I got the idea from a friend who used molasses.
The ratio I used was around 1 tablespoon per cup of granular sugar.
The flavour was a little different but completely acceptable and may be better with molasses.
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