Less sugar, more flavour.

In my shortbread: ground brown sugar and coconut sugar

In my shortbread biscuits, I use a blend of finely ground brown sugar and coconut sugar. Grinding the brown sugar makes its grains finer, so it spreads and incorporates more evenly into the dough.

Coconut sugar brings caramelised, toasted notes. I adjust this blend so that sweetness complements the grain, butter and other ingredients.

Reducing sugar without losing indulgence

I reduce sugars as I adjust my recipes to better taste the grains, fresh butter, cocoa, nuts or spices. I am not seeking dominant sweetness, but a flavour that lingers after each bite.

Resting and baking are part of this work: proportions alone cannot preserve a beautiful texture.

Sugar shapes texture too

It contributes to the dough’s colour, softness and spread. Reducing its quantity therefore means rebalancing the recipe, tasting and observing the biscuit after baking.

In my cookies: brown sugar and dark soft sugar

For my cookies, I use brown sugar when rubbing in the dough. I combine it with vergeoise, a soft brown sugar, for its caramelised flavours and the softness it gives cookies.

This pairing lets me work on flavour and texture together, using a different blend from my shortbread.

What about blood glucose balance?

I pay attention to the total quantity of sugar in my recipes. Coconut sugar is still an added sugar: using it alone does not guarantee a better glycaemic balance in a biscuit. Its effect on blood glucose depends on the full recipe and portion eaten.

I choose it for its taste and adjust my blend for balanced sweetness. Learn more about glycaemic response with the University of Sydney.