I can admit that I am an alternative ingredient psycho-nerd. It's not uncommon for me to drag my boyfriend into a health food store when we're on vacation just in case they have a sweetener or flour I've never tried before. Paris! Puerto Rico! Venice (beach)! So many stores! So many false alarms.
So when Earth Family Food sent me a sample of Coconut Sugar I approached the package in disbelief. What was this exotic product? How is it possible I'd never seen it before? I quickly learned that coconut sugar is really low glycemic (it ranks 35 on the index!) and that it's derived from evaporating coconut sap. And no preservatives?! And tons of nutrients. I mean, c'mon!
This morning, I finally put the new sugar to the test. And I am LOSING IT!!!!!
Now, we all know that BabyCakes NYC lives and breathes agave nectar and don't get me wrong, I adore the stuff. But one thing I've gotten to miss with agave is that crunchy texture that sugar produces. So I almost fainted when my batch of coconut sugar sweetened Apple Muffins came out of the oven. The texture! The flavor! The crumb! I pushed samples on customers and the bakery girls and they were excited too (although maybe not as much as me).
Is anyone else out there throwing parties over this stuff? I'm thinking of it. Just don't know if it should be casual, or a formal affair.
I am over the moon!! I could spend hours/days pondering the outcome of a new product. Coconut Milk ice cream is my new obsession- and now the sugar. Cannot wait to try it!
That is great news. Do you ever consider using vegetable glycerin or stevia? Those are the only 2 sweeteners we yeast allergy sufferers can have. :( Otherwise, I'll just stick with the biscuits!
Thanks!
WOW! So glad the ball is finally rolling and the world is begining to taste the love which is the world's most sustainable sweetener!!! We're the source of the coconut palm sugar! Well...it's us and 1,457 small farmers but we're all family! Earth Family Food is doing an incredible job getting the word out as the first US distributor for this amazing product!!!
We began working with this incredible sweetener 3 years ago and finally have launched into the US with real volume so people that WANT to use it CAN use it!
This sugar is not only low glycemic...but it has an incredible amount of nutrients both makro and micro and as well has a ton of amino acids!
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the World Bank recently released a report (8 years in the making) that stated palm sugar was bar none the world's most sustainable sweetener...98% smallholder owned and operated as an industry (as opposed to below 5% smallholder for cane), coconut palm sugar can be tapped without harming the environment or the tree itself for over 70 years! And coconuts have actually been proven to BUILD SOIL and REGENERATE ECOSYSTEMS...Why, because they are like massive straws...sucking up nutrients and water from often desertified lands and making up to 90% of what they pull up available for othr plants..Palms need VERY little water/nutrients to thrive! This is a staple that you can be proud to have in your pantry!!! and can be happy to use excessively in your cooking!
SO HURRAY for Babycakes and I can't wait to try the Muffins when next I'm in NYC (I'll be there this summer...my wife Blair is a manhattan native!)
I'm happy to answer any questions if anyone has any!
I love vegetable glycerin and have found it to be an excellent low glycemic sweetener in (vegan) hot chocolate and cereals (it tends to smoke when heated above 300 degrees). The coconut sugar is so new to me, I can't stop thinking about all the possibilities!
Wow! I am so excited about a new sugar alternative :)
what about xylitol? i can't believe it tastes so much like sugar without the horrible aftertaste that stevia has. plus it has non-sugar, instead it is a sugar alcohol. i am going by today for the first time. i can't wait.
Hi Erin,
Where can I find this coconut sweetener ?