Many of us make resolutions to reduce our sugar intake in the New Year. With a few substitutions, it can be possible to continue to enjoy dessert, while staying true to your resolution to eat less sugar.
Dates and figs are delicious fruits that are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are whole foods that are naturally sweet and are very easy to convert into sugar substitutes. I would not use them to sweeten coffee or tea because they will not dissolve completely, but they do a fantastic job of sweetening baked goods. Dates and dried figs can both be found in your local grocer’s produce department year round.
Date sugar is available commercially, but is very simple to make. You can use date sugar as a 1:1 substitute for granulated and brown sugar. Date sugar will sweeten baked goods while giving them a pleasing crunch. Date sugar is similar in color to brown sugar and baked goods made with it will have a darker color than those made with granulated sugar. Figs have two seasons: A very short first season in early summer and then the main season which runs from late summer into fall. Living in the Midwest makes it difficult to use fresh figs, so I rely on dried figs from my grocer.
Fig purée is also very easy to make and works beautifully not only as a sugar substitute, but as a fat substitute. I use it as I would use applesauce as a substitute in recipes. It also will leave your baked goods with a lovely darker color and slight crunch than granulated sugar. I love using fig purée in coffee and Bundt cakes. The purée gives a beautiful depth of flavor that can’t be achieved with granulated sugar. With existing recipes, start by replacing half of the fat with fig purée and adjusting as necessary. It may take some experimentation to get the recipe just right.
To make Date Sugar:
Date sugar is very simple to prepare. Start with 3-4 cups of fresh dates. Slice and quarter the dates, even if they have been pitted. Check for any pit fragments and remove. Place date quarters on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and place in a 200 degree oven for three hours. Flip the date pieces occasionally to ensure that the dates dry completely. Turn your oven off and leave the pan in the oven while it cools. I usually leave it in overnight. The date pieces should be very hard, similar to a hard nut.
Once the pieces are hard, place them in a food processor and pulse until they begin to break down. Add a teaspoon of arrowroot or corn starch and continue to process until the dates break down into small granules. If you are finding that there is still moisture in the granules, place the granules on a baking sheet and bake again at 200 degrees for one hour. Reprocess the granules adding more starch if necessary until they are the size of granulated sugar.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place. I keep mine in the refrigerator. Date sugar will harden when not used. Just break it up with a fork and use as needed.
Date “Candies”
While baking, I discovered what I find to be a great treat. After about 1 ½ hours, I removed some of the dates to see if they had dried out enough. Like everything else I make, I tasted them. They had a chew that is similar to licorice and are sweet. I promptly removed a pan out of the oven and let them cool. I had everyone in my home taste them and the general consensus was that they were pretty tasty. We have had a bowl of them out all week and everyone has been snacking on them. To make Date “Candy”, follow the directions for Date Sugar, but only bake for 1 ½ hours. Let the dates cool completely before storing in an airtight plastic container.
Making Fig Purée:
To make fig purée, simply place 8 dried figs in ¼ cup water and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently until the figs are rehydrated. Remove pot from heat source and allow to cool slightly. Place figs and water into a blender or food processor and pulse until they become a purée. I adjust the consistency of the purée depending on the recipe. If it is too thick, simply add warm water. Store the purée in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. I only make a small amount at a time to use that day or in the next few days.
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