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    • in Recipes

      One Simply Terrific Thing: Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

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      Want to take your baking up a notch? Try adding turbinado sugar to your kitchen pantry arsenal to give your baked goods an added level of crunch and sweetness!

      Welcome to One Simply Terrific Thing, our ongoing series highlighting the small tools, kitchen goods and ingredients that make life better!

      Because of my job as a baker and recipe developer, I have a well-stocked pantry full of specialty ingredients most folks don’t use on a regular basis.
      But for anyone wanting to take their baked goods up a notch, I recommend getting some turbinado sugar. This specialty ingredient can take a regular home-baked good to the next level!
      WHAT IS TURBINADO SUGAR?
      Turbinado sugar (sometimes sold by its brand name Sugar in the Raw) came onto the scene back in the 90s where it started to appear at coffee shops across the nation. But it wasn’t until the last 10 to 15 years that you could buy it in bags at regular grocery stores, like white and brown sugar.
      This specialty sugar is a blond-colored coarse crystal sugar that is less refined that table sugar. Unlike white granulated sugar, which is refined and boiled several times to remove all the molasses, turbinado sugar is boiled once and then processed through a centrifuge to spin off the excess moisture. The centrifuge, called a turbine, is what gives turbinado sugar its name!

      HOW TO BAKE WITH TURBINADO SUGAR
      Due to its unrefined nature, turbinado sugar has a slight molasses flavor that is more rounded and complex than regular white sugar’s simple sweetness. It’s great in hot beverages like coffee and tea, and adds a great crunch and texture when sprinkled over oatmeal or yogurt.
      Turbinado sugar also makes a fantastic addition to baked goods!
      Sprinkle a tablespoon over pies before baking for a professional look and taste; top muffins with a generous pinch to give them a “bakery-style” appearance; or try adding a tablespoon to a crumble, crisp, or on top of a cobbler.
      You can even use a tablespoon or two of turbinado sugar in place of white granulated sugar in cookies like sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, or oatmeal raisin cookies. The sugar’s large crystals won’t melt so the cookies get some extra texture and crunch, making them all the more special.
      Unlike brown sugar, turbinado sugar won’t harden, which means it will last until you use it up. (And a bag often lasts a long time, especially if you are only using one or two tablespoons of it at a time.)
      You can find turbinado sugar online, as well as at well-stocked grocery stores or specialty stores like Trader Joe’s.
      Go get some! LEGGI TUTTO

    • in Recipes

      Ingredient Spotlight: Masa and Masa Harina

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      Looking to make your own corn tortillas, sopes slathered with beans, or tamales? If so, then you need to have one ingredient on hand: masa or its dehydrated cousin, masa harina. It’s incredibly versatile, gluten-free, inexpensive, and delicious.

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      Photography Credit: Emma Christensen

      This post is part of our Summer Cookbook Club series for 2020, featuring Gabriela Cámara’s book My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions. Autographed copies are available in our Simply Recipes Shop.

      If you’ve ever had succulent barbacoa wrapped in a corn tortilla, bitten into the firm but tender texture of a sopa, or unwrapped the corn husk of a tamal (tamale), then you have had masa.
      WHAT IS MASA?
      Masa is made from nixtamalizing corn, which just means dried corn is soaked in calcium hydroxide (lime, not the fruit) and water. This process tenderizes the corn making it easy to mill and releases amino acids which transform the corn into complete protein. It also improves the bioavailability of calcium, cooper, zinc, and niacin.
      If you’re lucky enough to live near a tortilleria, a bakery that sells freshly made tortillas, then you can buy fresh masa to take home and use as you see fit. But keep in mind fresh masa will ferment as time goes on, so unless you want it to sour, then it’s best to use within 24 hours.

      WHAT IS MASA HARINA?
      Masa is what comes of corn once it is nixtamalized. Masa harina is what happens when masa is dehydrated. Masa harina is sold at most supermarkets throughout the United States, typically in bags that look similar to flour or cornmeal bags. It can be yellow or white. It just depends on the kind of corn that’s used.
      Masa harina is the next best thing to fresh masa and a practical alternative for home cooks, because it’s shelf stable, and you can make masa whenever the craving for fresh tortillas, sopas, or tamales strikes.
      Gabriela Cámara, celebrated chef of restaurants in both Mexico and the United States, and author of My Mexico City Kitchen, recommends Bob’s Red Mill organic masa harina. It has a lovely flavor, is readily available, and uses non-GMO corn.

      Try masa or masa harina in these delicious recipes:
      To learn more about Gabriela Cámara and Mexican cuisine, read:
      If you’re looking for more ways to cook with masa or masa harina, check out Gabriela Cámara’s book, My Mexico City Kitchen. Autographed copies are available in our Simply Recipes Shop.

      Products We Love

      Masa Harina Corn Flour

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      Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina Flour, 24 oz, Set of 4

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      Summer Miller
      Summer Miller is the Senior Editor for Simply Recipes based in Nebraska. Her work has appeared in Bon Appetit, Eating Well, Grit, SAVEUR, and Every Day with Rachael Ray, among others. Her first book is New Prairie Kitchen (Agate Publishing, 2015).
      More from Summer LEGGI TUTTO