Home Grinders

[tomturbomatic]

It is easy, but sorta noisy, to pulverize sugar in the blender to get a very fine, slightly powdery, quickly dissolving sugar. I should think that you do not want too fine a granule for most cake baking since the partial solubility of the sugar helps the creamed fat hold more air.

 

[vacbear58]

English terms

I presume you mean United Kingdom terms LOLOLOLOL

White sugars:
Granulated - like US granulated, used for tea, coffee etc or for sweetening pies, generally not used for baking although it would be used when making syrups for frosting or something like Creme Au Beurre
Castor sugar - about half way between granulated and confectioners sugar - this is mostly used for baking sponges of all types and light (as in colour, for example Dundee Cake) fruit cakes
Icing sugar - as Confectioners sugar so used for frostings and fillings such as butter icing - I realise that that sounds like a contradiction in terms but butter icing can be used as a frosting or a filling, especially in Victoria Sandwich cakes which is like a butter layer cake.

All of these can now be found in unrefined versions normally termed "golden", golden caster tends to produce a softer, slightly darker butter sponge and golden icing sugar tends to have something of a caramel taste about it.

There is now also something called Jam sugar which is specifically for making jams and preserves - its the consistancy of granulated but with added pectin to aid setting. My mother was a great jam maker (the annual goal was at least 52 post of jam - one per week) and she always used granulated for jam.

Brown sugars
We have two types of "Soft Brown Sugar" which is generally used for making "heavy" (aka rich) fruitcakes - light (unrefined) and dark (with added molasses). This would also be used in the likes of brownies or anything with that sort of fudgey texture.

We also have a brown sugar called Demara which is rather like granulated but brown, this is normally used for coffee - not often in baking although a sprinkling does make a nice crunchy topping on the likes of apple crumble or even a touch on something like lemon meurange pie.

These are the main varities. It used to be quite simple once upon a time but the last time I looked in the supermarket there seemed to be a dizzying array of sugars but these are the main ones - one thing is for sure though, none of them are cheap!

Al

 

[maytagbear]

And then

in a UK category all its own.......is the magnificent(!!!) Lyle's Golden Syrup. It is light tan in color, and tastes like what they must serve in Heaven.

For a brief, shining moment, my supermarket carried it in the squeezy bottle. Lyle's Golden Syrup (I have not tried any other) tastes like liquid brown sugar, but much better, and has a vanilla-ish flavor note.

It is commonly used in UK baking, and many other ways. I love it on oatmeal, and in hot tea. It does something fine to PG Tips tea. It's also good on waffles.

Here in the States, Sugar In The Raw brand is close, but not exactly the same as Demerara, at least in my baking.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[hunter]

Yes, that is what I saw in west mass too

Yes, the 'granulated' is what we had in western Mass as well. It's also what we have here in Colorado, also.

Demerara sugar! I brought back 3kg last time I went to UK; at 99p/kg it was FAR cheaper than what we get here!! (and this was in a Waitrose in Central London - hardly the spot in UK for cheap food!)

Typically when baking sponges or such I take the C&H sugar and food process it - a little bit - but not too much 'cause I don't want icing sugar.

@vacbear58: I THOUGHT jam sugar had pectin in it. I've never seen here though, here or in UK. Thanks for the confirmation. (Useful for jam unless it is marmalade, which isn't jam or course, but it is a preserve. For that the pectin in the peel is enough...)

Hunter