Naturally Sweet

July 18, 2016
The Massachusetts-based America’s Test Kitchen, home to Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, is the experienced culinary force behind this guide to baking with less sugar. Prep for home bakers include essential information such as a substitution chart and a breakdown of the science of sugar. The “outs,” sweeteners that didn’t make the cut, include brown rice syrup and agave nectar (with the deciding factors being inconsistent flavor profiles and lack of flavor). Tempting baked goods include an apple-cinnamon Danish sweetened with coconut sugar and preserves; chocolate chip cookies made with sucanat; and a maple layer cake full of syrup. The refreshing raspberry sorbet relies on the fruit itself for sweetness. Step-by-step photos walk readers through techniques such as baking a pie and rolling out scones. For those who want to indulge without overdoing, these 120 recipes are a great starting point.

July 1, 2016
The editors at America's Test Kitchen, known for their meticulous recipe testing and development, are back at it again. This time, they've trained their laser-eyed focus on reduced-sugar baking. Bakers know cutting back the sugar in a recipe is a complicated endeavorone that affects the taste, texture, and appearance of the finished product. Be prepared to experiment with sugar substitutes like Sucanat (found here in peanut-butter cookies, crumb cake, red velvet cupcakes, and more), fruit juices (fig bars), and coconut sugar (coconut washboards). The authors also make liberal use of maple syrup and honey as replacements for refined sugars in recipes ranging from muffins to cookies to cakes to pies and puddings. Plus, they've included background information on these sweeteners as well as a recipe index organized by sweetening agent. Cooks with a powerful sweet tooth should scoop up this well-researched recipe book for healthier takes on classic sweet treats.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)