We Spotted Two Unique Sugars In Ina Garten’s Pantry — Here’s How to Use Them

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It’s not every day that a celebrity gives us a gift, but it really just happened. The gift? A peek into Ina Garten’s pantry. The Barefoot Contessa herself just shared an inside look at what goes on in her pantry, giving us a peek at all of the ingredients she uses to churn out her fantastic and craveable recipes, like the ones in Modern Comfort Food and her upcoming cookbook that’s available for pre-order. It might not seem like much of a gift, but a look inside of a cook’s pantry is like a look at a painter’s palette — every work of culinary art that Garten makes starts here, and there were two ingredients in particular that caught our eye — demerara sugar and caster sugar.

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Garten also has confectioner’s sugar, dark brown sugar, and corn syrup in her pantry, but those sweeteners are a little more common. As for the other’s, here’s what you need to know.

Both of Garten’s specialty sugars come from the company India Tree Gourmet Spices & Specialties. The Caster Sugar is a super-fine can sugar that can be used in a lot of different applications. It’s sort of like the in-between sugar of regular granulated sugar and confectioner’s sugar. Because of its fine texture, Caster Sugar is ideal for things with a delicate texture, like certain cakes, custards, and meringues, though it’s also a convenient cocktail ingredient, as it dissolves much faster than regular granulated sugar.

Demerara Sugar, also sometimes called raw sugar, is made from sugar cane, and has large sugar crystals with a caramel color. Though it’s similar to turbinado sugar, it has larger crystals and more molasses flavor. Demerara Sugar is often used to top baked goods, like scones and muffins, because it adds a sweet crunch. It has a subtle toffee-like flavor that adds depth to coffee and other beverages.

Ina Garten‘s recipes often seem simple, but it’s the specificity and quality of the ingredients she uses that makes all the difference. If you want to churn out recipes like the Barefoot Contessa, take a page out of her pantry and stock up on these specialty sugars.

Before you go, check out the gallery below:

Watch: We Tried Ina Garten’s Overnight Mac & Cheese & We Totally Get Why It Broke the Internet