Are you looking to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet but still indulge your sweet tooth? This book will inspire you to bake with less sugar!
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The Baking with Less Sugar book by Joanne Chang, (Chronicle, 2015) will enlighten you to the world of baking with low or no-sugar.
Joanne Chang is the chef-owner of Flour Bakery in Boston. Chang’s educational background includes a degree in Math from Harvard University, and she often provides us with little tidbits about the chemistry behind baking, which is very cool and interesting!
I first encountered Chang through her book Flour, the companion book to her Flour Bakery in Boston. I’ve baked my way through that book and her carrot cake recipe has become a staple in my baking repertoire!
I’m a traditionalist when it comes to baking. I believe that sugar, butter, flour, and eggs creates magic. I have been resistant to try recipes that reduce any of those precious ingredients; however, I’m trying to turn over a new leaf and to widen my view on what makes a great bake. Because of my love of Flour, I knew that if I was going to trust someone to lead me down the road of using less sugar in bakes, Chang would up to the task.
This book is a great resource for bakers who are interested in reducing the sugar in their bakes. The recipes focus on low or no sugar bakes, using natural sweeteners in place of classic white sugar.
The recipes focus on using sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, chocolate, fruit and molasses. Please don’t confuse baking with less sugar as low in calories and fat. Chang’s recipes do include ingredients such as heavy cream and crème fraiche, which help to boost the flavour.
What kind of recipes will I find in this book?
The recipes that I have tried from the book so far, are solid bakes, with the Lemon and Honey Cupcakes being a real winner in my home! These cupcakes are sweetened with honey only and were extremely moist and full of flavour. I will be making these again and again!
The other recipes I tried included: Peanut Butter Honey Cookies, Old Fashioned Indian Pudding, and Pecan Date Shortbread Cookies. I did have to make a couple of recipes twice because the ratios seemed a bit off. Perhaps it was due to my error and my inexperience at using some of these ingredients in my baking.
The photos in the book are high quality and Chang’s introductions before each recipe are a great balance of personal story and practical advice. If you are particularly interested in the science behind baking, you’ll appreciate Chang’s explanations accompanying the recipes.
Who will like the Baking with Less Sugar book?
If you’re an experienced baker looking to reduce your use of sugar in your bakes, you’ll appreciate the ideas in this book that might expand your horizons with the ingredients you use. New bakers will also enjoy the recipes, but I would caution you, as with every recipe, to read the instructions thoroughly before starting.
All in all, I would recommend the Baking with Less Sugar book to those bakers who want to reduce their sugar consumption. I’ll admit that it won’t soon be replacing the other baking books on my shelf, but it has its place and I’m happy to add it to my collection. You will be too.
Disclosure
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