Question
Manisha Pathuri
Do you have any recommendations for recipes or sugar substitutes that work well for baking?
Answer
So first I want to say this. In this arena, I've been plant-based for 17 years, and so I have sort of seen the evolution in the grocery store and the way that people speak. So for a long, long time, people would say, "And my recipe is sugar-free." But it would be made with maple syrup or coconut sugar or maple sugar or whatever. I personally have tried baking with monk fruit. I'm not personally a big fan. I think that the next time that Chef Fran has an event, that would be a good question for her. But it all depends on what you're making. And I think a maple syrup is good, but it's still sugar. So when you hear people talk about, "And it's sugar-free," it's refined sugar-free because you're substituting it with another source of sugar. So I don't eat a lot of sugar. And I find that in the beginning when I was plant-based, if it said a quarter of a cup of maple syrup, I was like a quarter cup heavy. And as I have sort of developed different taste buds, I will use two tablespoons instead of a quarter of a cup or whatever in the recipe and add fruit for that sweetness. But I wish I knew what kind of desserts that you really like because I would be able to kind of help you out that way. But tune in with Chef Fran the next time she's on because she's really an expert in this.
