I love living overseas and experiencing new places. Sometimes though, I cannot find all the same ingredients that I have easy access to in the United States. Right now I am in Taiwan and the sugar here is different. In the US, I can go to any store and find brown sugar and powdered sugar pretty easily. In Taiwan it can be challenging to find powdered sugar. I have only been able to find it at specialty baking stores but not at the markets. It’s also nice to know how to make it yourself when you are finishing up a recipe and realize you ran out of powdered sugar and just need a bit more!

The brown sugar in Taiwan is very dark and rich with a deep molasses flavor. It is good, but sometimes I still want my lighter brown sugar. Recipes taste different depending on the sugar and there are times I just want that taste of home. I have found American brown sugar imported here from time to time at specialty shops but the price tag is pretty high. Once I found molasses I knew I was all set and could make my own brown sugar when I need it. One jar of molasses makes a lot of brown sugar!

Brown Sugar

Making brown sugar is very simple. For light brown sugar, just add 1 tsp of molasses to 1 cup of granulated sugar. You’ll have to mix it with your fingers until it is incorporated. Once it is done you can store it in an airtight container. If you want dark brown sugar then just add 2 tsp molasses to 1 cup of sugar. I usually make a couple of cups at a time.

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Powdered Sugar (Confectioner’s sugar)

Powdered sugar is not hard to make but you do need a high powered blender. Once, I tried with a food processor but the sugar was still a little too grainy in the end. I only make one cup at a time for powdered sugar because it seems to mix more evenly and quickly this way. I use a Vitamix blender and it does well for this recipe. If you look at the ingredients on a bag of powdered sugar, you’ll see sugar and cornstarch. The cornstarch is important for keeping the sugar dry. For powdered sugar you just add 1 cup of granulated sugar along with 1 tbsp cornstarch to your blender. You blend it together on high for around 30 seconds and you’ll have powdered sugar! You can feel it between your fingers to make sure it isn’t grainy and pulse it a little more if needed. If I want a very fine sugar for whipping cream then I’ll blend it a little bit longer. It doesn’t take long though to make!

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I hope these tips come in handy for you!