Sugar and Spice: It’s Not All Nice

Honey: a sweet and healthy treat

Good news first: You can use Grandma’s tantalizing sugar cookie recipe and share it with generations to come. The bad news: It may not taste exactly as you remember it. A few sugar substitutes will help replicate Grandma’s original treat, and your heart, mood, waistline and mental clarity will thank you for it.

Alternative sweeteners, modified sugars, are not miracle drugs, nor should they be considered healthy. Alternative sweeteners do not offer an invitation to consume boatloads of cookies, cakes and pies simply because they don’t contain white sugar. Remember to keep everything in moderation. Let’s agree to call alternative sweeteners “less bad” than their less-healthful cousins: artificial sweeteners. These unnatural sugar substitutes include Splenda, aspartame (Nutrasweet or Equal), and all have been linked to diseases, as research continues on the long-term effects of regular use. 

Brown sugar was previously thought to have been a great white sugar alternative. In fact, it is just as refined as white sugar. Honey and maple syrup need be chosen with care, too, as some honey producers add white sugar to their products, and not all maple syrup is created equal.  Stick to local and organic for both.

We’ve identified problem sweeteners, but there are plenty of good ones. Here’s a list of my faves:

Raw Organic Honey  

By raw I mean un-heated and unadulterated. Honey is sometimes put through a refining process where it is heated to ultra-high temperatures. The point of raw honey is to retain its nutrients and minerals, as well as its protein-rich bee pollen. Refining and heating destroys these nutrients. Honey that has never been heated is generally solid at room temperature. Local honey is best. Just have a short conversation with your beekeeper to find out the process he or she uses! If you are vegan or aspire to be, please note that bees are sometimes killed after the honey has been attained.

One of the great things about honey is that it can be used in all kinds of baked goods. It has a distinctive taste, so as long as you enjoy its taste, it should turn out great!     

Honey is 20 to 60 percent sweeter than sugar, depending on the type of flower and bee, but on average, most people use 2/3 to 3/4 as much honey as white sugar called for in a recipe. I use half as much honey as sugar, and am completely happy with the end product. The last converting tip for honey is to reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. If there is no liquid to reduce, add 3 to 4 tablespoons flour for each 1/2 cup honey used. Also reduce the oven 25 degrees and adjust baking time. Baking is all about the chemistry, so this is important because sugar is much drier than honey).

Organic Maple Syrup  

Make sure you are buying 100% maple syrup. It sounds silly, but many of the imposter products on the market are not wholly derived from maple trees. As far as grades are concerned, generally, the lower grades are lightest in color and taste. B is used most often in cooking and baking, and has a richer taste. It boils down to preference.

Another great thing about maple syrup is that it is rich in potassium and calcium, and it can also be used in all baked goods, like honey. If possible, maple crystals are a great alternative, too.                  

In place of the sugar called for in a recipe, substitute 2/3 to 3/4 maple syrup (like the honey). There will be variations with this conversion due to the various levels of syrup potency. Also, reduce liquid in recipe by 3 tablespoons and add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda per cup maple syrup.

Stevia 

Stevia is a South American herb that’s a relatively easy perennial to grow. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, but with zero calories, and is ideal for diabetics, as it has no effect on blood sugar. Many people combine it with other sweeteners so no one flavor dominates.  

In general, one teaspoon of stevia can replace an entire cup of sugar in a recipe. I learned this lesson the hard way, and lost an entire batch of coconut cream. My pumpkin pie felt a bit naked that Thanksgiving.

If your sweet tooth does get the best of you this holiday season, please note that foods can counter-balance each other, and that you can neutralize the effects of a sugar fog! Too much sugar can be offset or neutralized with miso soup or umeboshi paste or plums (a Japanese pickled plum), for example. Whatever recipe you decide to try this season, have a happy holiday.  

Ashenbach will present "Raw Foods, Simple and Easy" offering tips and tastings on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at Dietary Health Foods, in Lorain. Seating is limited. Make reservations by calling the store at 440-233-6381.