How to: Make your own colored sugars

Colored sugars are a fun way to add color and texture to any project; however, with large quantities needed, or specific colors, it can be daunting to hunt for exactly what you need. Instead of running to your local craft store, grocery store, or neighbors house, why not make some? Its fun, easy, and much less expensive than buying it at the store.

Here's what you'll need:


~Granulated sugar (from course to extra fine its your call)
~Regular food coloring
~Large Ziploc Bag
~Waxed paper
~Cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan)
~Air tight storage container

What you do:

~Take the desired amount of granulated sugar and place in Ziploc bag. Drop a few drops of desired food coloring into bag (the more you add the deeper the color will be). I typically add between 2 and 6 drops of color (making RED or dark colors require much more).

~ Seal Ziploc bag tightly, with as little air as possible. Kneed the food coloring into the sugar, making sure to alternate sides of bag so you coat evenly. When color is fully coated there will be no chunks of colored sugar left.

~Place a sheet of waxed paper on top of the cookie sheet. Pour contents of Ziploc bag out onto wax paper, spread evenly, and allow to dry in cool, dry place. Usually a few hours. I make in the evening and dry overnight.

~When sugar is dry, break up to loosen sugar crystals, and place in airtight container.

Now you have made your very own colored sugars for your next project.

Good to know: Gluten-free

Gluten-free diets and food labels are becoming more and more predominant; but what is GLUTEN and why gluten free?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts, and triticale. It is used as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent, often hidden under "dextrin".

A gluten-free diet is the only acceptable treatment for celiac disease and wheat allergy.

Most foods that are marked "gluten free" contain no or a very small amount of gluten. Other items that are good alternatives, and most common replacement for wheat, in gluten-free diets are potatoes, corn, tapioca, and rice. Baking for gluten-free diets can be a challenge, but not impossible. Usually the flavor remains the same, but the texture of baked items changes, however with the right mix of ingredients the difference is barely noticeable.

Good to know: Cream of Tartar

Cream of Tartar is a mystery ingredient that is asked for often... but not many seem to know what it does.

Cream of tarter actually isn't a cream at all... its a dry white powder. Originally a bi-product of wine making, cream of tartar is an acid that is mixed with baking soda to create baking powder. It acts as an acid, while the baking soda emits carbon dioxide to make the dough or batter rise, or leaven, properly, helping to create fluffy baked items.

Some recipes may ask for baking powder, baking soda and cream of tartar separately, or not at all. It depends on the other ingredients involved in the recipe and the amount of acid contained in the ingredients and the balancing act to make it rise.

Good to know: Baking Powder and Baking Soda

Countless recipes call for baking powder and baking soda, and although they're very commonly used, most don't know why.

Baking soda is used to produce carbon dioxide in batters that help it to "rise" or leaven baked items. There are many acidic ingredients in lots of cakes, breads, and the like, such as: some fruits (like bananas), brown sugar, molasses, buttermilk, and others. So the baking soda is used to combat the acid and allow the dough or batter to rise properly so you get those fluffy cakes and muffins you desired.

Baking powder contains baking soda and other dry acidic ingredients that are used similarly; however, baking powder has more kick to it since it doesn't rely on the ingredients of the batter alone, which helps the batter rise better or leaven higher than just the baking soda alone. Generally one teaspoon of baking powder leavens one cup of flour.

There are commonly two types of baking powder: single-acting and double-acting powders. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.