INGREDIENTS - Granulated Sugar

Regular granulated sugar, also called fine granulated or table sugar, is the most familiar and the most commonly used.

Very fine and ultrafine sugars (also called caster sugar) are finer than regular granulated sugar. They are prized for making cakes and cookies because they make a more uniform batter and can support higher quantities of fat.

Sanding sugars are coarse and are used for coating cookies, cakes, and other products.

In general,finer granulations are better for mixing into doughs and batters because they dissolve relatively quickly. Coarse sugars are likely to leave undissolved grains,even after long mixing. These show up after baking as dark spots on crusts, irregular texture, and syrupy spots. Also, fine sugars are better for creaming with fats because they create a finer, more uniform air cell structure and better volume.

Coarse sugar, on the other hand, can be used in syrups, where its mixing properties are not a factor. Even a very coarse sugar dissolves readily when boiled with water. In fact,coarse crystalline sugar is often purer than fine sugar and makes a clearer syrup.

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INGREDIENTS - Invert Sugar

When a sucrose solution is heated with an acid, some of the sucrose breaks down into equal parts of two simple sugars, dextrose and levulose. A mixture of equal parts of dextrose and levulose is called invert sugar. It is about 30% sweeter than regular sucrose.

Invert sugar has two properties that make it interesting to the baker.First, it holds moisture especially well and, therefore, helps keep cakes fresh and moist. Second, it resists crystallization. Thus, it promotes smoothness in candies, icings, and syrups.This is why an acid such as cream of tartar is often added to sugar syrups.The acid inverts some of the sugar when it is boiled,thus preventing graininess in the candy or icing.

Invert sugar is produced commercially. It is also present in honey.

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