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Conference turris::cooks

Title:How to Make them Goodies
Notice:Please Don't Start New Notes for Old Topics! Check 5.*
Moderator:FUTURE::DDESMAISONSec.com::winalski
Created:Tue Feb 18 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4127
Total number of notes:31160

2789.0. "Confectioner's Sugar" by NATASH::MORRISON () Mon Dec 10 1990 09:29

    Can you substitute confectioners sugar in fudge recipes that call for
    regular granulated sugar?  Or vice versa.  
    
    Would it change the consistency?   AND what would the
    equivalent measurements be if you can.
    
    Can or will this substitution work in other recipes?  Has anyone done
    this?
    
    Thanx in advance.
    donna
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2789.1Easy, make your ownMR4DEC::MAHONEYMon Dec 10 1990 11:138
    No, it doesn't work well because of different consistencies but... you
    can MAKE confectioners sugar very easily! just use a blender, put about
    1/2 of normal sugar and process it till powder, just that, keep on
    making it till you reach amount needed.  I do that any time I run out
    of it and it worked great every time.  Try it.
    
    Ana
    
2789.2MR4DEC::MAHONEYMon Dec 10 1990 11:141
    Hoops! I forgot to say put 1/2 CUP or less each time for easy blending.
2789.3Caveats...PNEUMA::HACHEGet on Your Knees & Fight Like a ManMon Dec 10 1990 14:008
    With my food processor, I generally have to do pulses (on/off, on/off) 
    or else the sugar gets too heated and doesn't powder right.  
    
    Also, I find it's hard to duplicate the real stuff, you can get finer
    sugar this way, finer even than bar sugar, but I've never gotten powder
    suitable for frosting or the like.
    
    dm
2789.4MR4DEC::MAHONEYTue Dec 11 1990 11:213
    A food processor is not as good as a blender for making this type of
    sugar, a blender does a much better job.  Keep in mind that you must 
    use HIGH speed for it.
2789.5Another reason why substitutions will change thingsSSGBPM::KENAHI am the catalyst, not the poisonWed Dec 12 1990 13:423
    Confectioner's sugar contains corn starch.
    
    					andrew
2789.7Superfine Sugar?KYOA::SHAINJennifer ShainThu Dec 13 1990 08:329
    Will this blender trick make superfine sugar? I have a cake book with
    most of the recipes calling for superfine sugar and haven't used it
    much, but would love to. If this would work, how fine should the sugar
    be? 
    
    Thanks for the help.
    
    Jennifer
    
2789.8MR4DEC::MAHONEYThu Dec 13 1990 10:515
    It depends on HOW FINE you want it... the longer you blend it the finer
    it gets... I've baked for over 20 years without ever buying any special
    sugar, always used the blender to get powder sugar.
    By the way... I never heard that corn starch is included in powder
    sugar!
2789.9PSW::WINALSKICareful with that VAX, EugeneThu Dec 13 1990 16:557
RE: .8

That's the difference between powdered sugar and confectioner's sugar.
Confectioner's sugar does indeed have a small amount of cornstarch in it.
Read the label.

--PSW
2789.10dextrose?CADSYS::HECTOR::RICHARDSONMon Dec 17 1990 15:205
    That's odd; I just opened a bag of confectioner's sugar (lots of baking
    over the weekend), and it did NOT contain cornstarch, but it DID
    contain dextrose (a sugar; regular table sugar is sucrose).
    
    /Charlotte
2789.11Satisfied, from Missouri.NOVA::FISHERRdb/VMS DinosaurMon Dec 17 1990 15:234
    I check my confectioner's this weekend and the label says "3%
    cornstarch added to prevent caking."
    
    ed
2789.12sugar is sugar...TYGON::WILDEillegal possession of a GNUMon Jan 07 1991 14:5511
back to the original question....confectioner's (or powdered) sugar could be
used to make fudge, but you must adjust the quantity and I don't know the
exchange rate.  A reliable cookbook should be able to offer a substitution
exchange rate or perhaps the local newspaper has a "cook's exchange" type
of column where you could pose the question.  I do remember a version of
fudge that used powdered sugar, but haven't seen a recipe in years...

At any rate, the small amount of corn-starch added to SOME powdered sugar
brands (not all have it) is neglegible and only added to prevent caking....
dextrose is also sometimes used instead of sucrose because it doesn't cake 
as easily.  It all works the same.