Cooking & Baking Tips

There are many sugar alternatives on the market these days and it can be challenging to determine which to use. Date sugar is made from dried, pitted dates that have been ground into a coarse, slightly gritty powder. Date sugar is a smart substitute for brown sugar as it has a higher fiber content than many other sweeteners. Recipes that typically benefit from the extra texture and slight crunch of date sugar include cookies, oatmeal and granola. Chatfield’s Date Sugar is 100% dates; just one ingredient.
Cakes, brownies and shakes benefit most from powders due to its ease of mixing. Cocoa powder should be unsweetened otherwise it is considered hot chocolate. It is best to avoid "Dutched" or “Dutch Processed” powder as the cocoa is treated with alkaline to reduce the acidity level and the lower acidity level means that it will react with the other ingredients, such as eggs unfavorably as compared to natural cocoa powder. Chatfield’s is proud to make only undutched cocoa powder.
Baking chips with numerous ingredients can result in disrupted flavor and a waxy texture and therefore it is important to use premium baking chips, which have fewer ingredients, to ensure the success of your recipes. Chatfield’s has you covered with our premium, gluten free baking chips, many of which are vegan and free from the common 8 allergens.