Whether it’s for baking, sweetening your morning cup of coffee or even for use in your daily beauty routine, sugar is an incredible and versatile ingredient. Here are 10 things to do with Mara Sugar.
Make sugar cookies
Sugar cookies are the ideal treat to make when you’re short on time, but want to bake something magical that will melt in the mouth. These simple treats require just sugar, flour, butter and eggs, with a dash of baking soda. Add flavours such as vanilla or lavender, and ice the sugar cookies with intricate patterns to make them even more delicious. Whatever you make is guaranteed to be well received!
Create a sugar-based face scrub
Sugar is a great ingredient for anyone interested in making their own beauty products, especially those who want to know exactly what they’re using on their skin. The process of making a sugar-based face scrub couldn’t be easier. Just mix two tablespoons of sugar with two tablespoons of honey and you’ve got your very own scrub. While honey is a known treatment for eczema, sugar acts as an exfoliant, which gets rid of dead skin and leaves it looking fresh. You can add essential oils like peppermint, tea tree or eucalyptus for a pleasing scent.
Make your own sugar wax hair removal
It’s easy and straightforward to make your own sugar wax for hair removal and doing so only requires a few simple ingredients. Sugar is the main one. Mix 250ml of sugar with 30ml of lemon juice and 30ml of slightly warm water in a pan, then bring to the boil, stirring so that it doesn’t burn. Once boiling, simmer until it turns golden, remove from the heat and leave to cool for around half an hour. It can now be used as a hair removal treatment.
Make edible sugar paper
Edible sugar paper can make good cakes look great. And making your own doesn’t have to be a challenge. All you need to do is mix some sugar and food dye in a clear plastic bag and squeeze to ensure everything is properly mixed. Mix in a bowl with glucose syrup and then place everything onto a piece of parchment paper, placing another sheet on top. Roll out into a thin piece of ‘paper’, leave to dry for 10 minutes and then bake on a very low heat for the same amount of time. This can then be used to wrap around your cake.
Create your own sugar soap cleaner
Sugar soap is excellent for cleaning walls when preparing to decorate, as well as for everyday housework. Making your own sugar soap cleaner is easy. Mix around 250g of sugar with 250g of soda crystals and add five litres of water to get an abundance of homemade cleaning product that delivers great results without any harmful toxins. Essential oils can give your new soap a lovely scent, too.
Make a pavlova
Sugar is the star in a pavlova, the best of all summer desserts. To make a perfect one, you need to mix together a meringue base, using 250g caster sugar, four egg whites, a teaspoon of white wine vinegar, a teaspoon of cornflour and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat until glossy, bake for an hour and then add your favourite fruits and whipped cream. Simple, elegant and delicious.
Create sugar art flowers
Sugar flowers are the ultimate cake decoration and can help elevate sweet treats to the next level. Some shop-bought gum paste (used to make the flowers) can be too hard, leaving cracks in your flowers, so make your own gum paste to the perfect consistency! To start, make icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar, by finely grinding white Mara Sugar and mixing it with an anti-caking agent such as maize starch to stop it from sticking together. When you have the fine sugar, you can create your own gum paste. There are plenty of recipes online for homemade gum paste, which is a simple process using gelatin, water, margarine (or another shortening), corn syrup and your icing sugar. Pop it in the fridge overnight and head to your local florist for some inspiration, making your own edible floral creations the following day.
Make your own sugar syrup for cocktails
Sugar syrup is an essential ingredient for any at-home mixologist. Fortunately, making it is a breeze. All you need to do is dissolve 300g of sugar and 150ml of water over low heat. Once cooled, pour into a bottle and refrigerate, ready for your next cocktail party. Remember to keep some sugar back for decorating the glass.
Make your own jam or preserve
Jams and preserves don’t need to be complicated. In fact, all you need is your favourite soft fruit, sugar and water. To start, put 600g of fruit in a saucepan and add 100ml of water, boil, and then simmer for five minutes until the fruit resembles pulp. You can sieve the fruit for a smooth jam or leave it if you prefer it chunky. Then add 400g of white Mara Sugar for every 500g of fruit. Add the juice of half a lemon and then boil at a high heat so that the sugar dissolves. You’ll need a cooking thermometer so you can check when the temperature reaches 105ºC. This is the setting point. Once you’ve spooned off any skin from the top, leave to cool for between 10 and 15 minutes. At this point, you can pour into jars, which you’ll need to sterilise beforehand. To do so, clean them in hot soapy water, rinse and then place in a 160ºC oven for 15 minutes. Your jam can be stored in a cool cupboard for up to six months.
Bake a cake
The most scrumptious cakes come with the sweet stuff as standard, so why not keep things simple and make your favourite cake with Mara Sugar? You can make a simple Victoria sponge sandwich, a juicy lemon drizzle or a sticky chocolate and fudge cake.
