Don’t Ditch the Sugar - The Roles of Sugar in Cooking and Baking

Blog sponsored by The Canadian Sugar Institute

Written by RD, Elis Halenko, and nutrition student, Sydney Grier MHSc.

If you are like me, perhaps you also have a "sweet tooth”, or an appreciation for sweet foods. I love ending my day with a bowl of fruit or a baked good. Through my years of nutrition education, I soon learned that sugar as an ingredient has many functional benefits in food, beyond just taste, there’s more to sugar than meets the taste buds…

Sugar plays an integral role in sweet and savoury dishes alike. It has been a part of our diets for centuries as it naturally occurs in our food to provide us with energy, and has evolved to be a staple in cooking techniques. Not to mention, did you know that glucose (a simple sugar) is the preferred source of energy for the brain? Sugars, such as glucose, fructose, sucrose, and lactose, are naturally present in fruits, vegetables, and milk products. Sugar (sucrose) can also be extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets and then added to foods. The word ‘sugar’ refers specifically to sucrose, the most prominent disaccharide in our diets, while ‘sugars’ refers to the scientific names of all mono and disaccharides.

Sugar often has a bad reputation in the media, and you may have had a friend or family member mention they are on a diet and “completely cutting out sugar”. While excess added sugars in the diet can be associated with negative health outcomes, the new % Daily Value from Health Canada on Nutrition Facts tables suggests that up to 100 g of total sugars per day can be part of a healthy and balanced diet. Cutting out sugar completely from your diet is nearly impossible, nor is it fun. As a Registered Dietitian and with a passion in culinary arts, I am here to debunk that myth and show you why sugar is a foundational part of our diets and cooking!

When foods are made without sugar, other ingredients are often used in replacement such as artificial sugars, starches and food additives. This just goes to show how important sugar truly is!

When cooking, sugar plays a role in flavour balance, preservation, texture, volume, colour and of course, taste! Sugar can also act as a meat tenderizer, a natural preservative or as food for healthy yeast and bacteria.

Today I have created three delicious recipes highlighting the power of sugar as a transformational ingredient. Sugar plays a role in preserving jams and other spreads and condiments so that it lasts for longer without spoiling. It acts as food for yeast to give volume to cinnamon buns. Lastly, it creates a delicious caramelization in vegetables without overcooking and burning them, preserving their flavour, colour and texture. Truly, none of these recipes would be as successful or delicious without the addition of sugar.

10 Minute Raspberry Spiced Chia Jam

Preservation Technique

Yield: 1 cup

Prep time: 1 minute

Cook time: 9 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh raspberries and strawberries, washed well
2 Tbsp Brown sugar
2 Tbsp of Chia Seeds (I prefer white seeds to keep the jam bright!)
1/4 tsp of ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
Zest of 1 Orange

Method:

Heat the raspberries and strawberries in a medium sized sauce pan over medium-high heat until the juices are released and the fruit begins to bubble. Add the brown sugar. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the fruit to your desired consistency.
Remove the fruit from your stovetop when the sauce thickens slightly, I find this takes about 9-10 minutes but if your fruit is very juicy, it can take a little longer.
Once removed from the heat, add the chia seeds, cinnamon, lemon juice and orange zest. Let jam cool for 5 minutes. Give the jam a final stir before portioning into a jam jar. Jam stays fresh in the fridge for 1 week or you can freeze it in an ice cub tray for 3 months.

Summer Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls

Fermentation Technique

Yield: 12 Buns

Prep time: 40 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Buns - Recipe Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen

¾ Cup warm milk (resembles warm bath water)
2 ¼ Tsp active yeast
¼ Cup white sugar
1 Egg plus one egg yolk at room temperature
¼ Cup butter, melted
3 Cups bread or all-purpose flour
¾ Tsp salt

Strawberry Filling

2 Cups frozen, thawed and food processed strawberries
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting

¼ cup frozen strawberries, blended

1 Cup cream cheese
2 Tbsp butter
1 Cup powdered sugar
⅓ Cup milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tsp vanilla extract

Method:

In a small saucepan on low heat, add milk and butter. Cook until the butter has completely melted. Let stand until the mixture reaches room temperature.
Transfer the milk to a bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Add in the sugar and egg. Whisk together well.
Stir in the flour and salt, and mix until a dough begins to form.
Knead dough for 8 minutes if using a stand mixer & dough hook, and for 8-10 minutes if kneading by hand on a floured surface. The dough should be slightly sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover to rest for at least 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
While the dough is resting, prepare the filling by combining strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
On a floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Spread the strawberry filling evenly all over the centre of the dough.
Begin to roll up the length of the dough into itself to create a log. Cut into 12 rolls lengthwise.
Grease a 9” x 13“ pan with butter. Arrange rolls in the pan. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise for 30 minutes. While rising, preheat oven to 375°C.
Bake the rolls for 30 minutes.
While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting by placing cream cheese, softened butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until combined. Add in milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
Allow rolls to slightly cool before frosting.

Caramelized Shallot, Squash & Corn Flatbread

Caramelization Technique

Yield: 1 12” Flatbread

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough

2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Tsp instant yeast
1 Tsp white sugar
1 Tsp salt
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Toppings

5 shallots
1 Small butternut squash
1 Fresh cob of corn
1 Bulb of garlic
1 tbsp of brown sugar
¼ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup goats cheese
2 Handfuls of fresh arugula
Optional: sesame seed crust

Method:

Combine 1 cup of flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add extra virgin olive oil and ¾ cup of warm water. Stir well.
Gradually add the second cup of flour and continue to stir until the dough forms a cohesive, elastic ball. Sprinkle with extra flour.
Drizzle a separate large bowl with extra virgin olive oil. Pick up the dough with floured hands and transfer it to this bowl.
Roll the dough in the bowl until it is completely coated in oil and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes, or until it has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 420°F.
While the oven is heating and the dough is rising, begin preparing the pizza toppings. Thinly slice shallots. Peel and remove the seeds from the squash. Cut into small 1” cubes. Cut the top off of the garlic clove, leaving the peel on.
Add all the ingredients to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured surface and dust it with flour. Use a floured rolling pin to stretch the dough into a 12” circle.
Transfer the dough to a parchment paper-lined pizza pan. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil. Disperse caramelized shallots and squash across the dough. Add spoons of crumbled goat cheese.
Bake for 13-15 minutes. Garnish with fresh arugula.