BELIEVE ME, ULTRA FINE BAKER'S SUGAR MAKES A DIFFERENCE!  IT'S ONE OF THE BAKING SECRETS OF THE PROS.  THAT'S WHY PROFESSIONALS  LIKE AWARD WINNING ELIZABETH FALKNER USE IT.

TRY  BAKER'S SUGAR IN YOUR HOLIDAY COOKIES, CANDIES, FUDGE, PUMPKIN PIE FILLINGS AND CAKE FROSTINGS.  YOUR BUTTER AND SUGAR WILL CREAM TOGETHR FASTER, YOUR EGG WHITES WILL WHIP UP QUICKER AND YOUR WHIPPED CREAM WILL BLEND SMOOTHER WITH NO GRITTY TEXTURE.

FALKNER REMINDS SOME HOME BAKERS NOT TO PUT GRANULATED SUGAR INTO A FOOD PROCESSOR TO ACHIEVE FINER SUGAR.  INSTEAD OF A UNIFORM WHOLE  CRYSTAL, THEY LL SIMPLY GET ROUGH, PULVERIZED POWDERED SUGAR THAT WILL NOT PERFORM AS WELL IN BAKING.  THE PROS USE BAKER'S SUGAR.  C& H MAKES BAKER'S SUGAR TO BE THE EXACT CRYSTAL SIZE FOR INCORPORATING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF AIR INTO CAKE BATTERS AND TO MELT AND DISSOLVE AT THE RIGHT SPEED AND TEMPERATURE DURING BAKING.  FOR MORE INFORMATION AND RECIPES, VISIT WWW.BAKERSSUGAR.COM.

GOOD TO KNOW.  AFTER ALL IF YOU'RE BAKING FOR GIFTS, GUESTS OR FAMILY, YOU WANT IT TO PAY OFF IN LIGHT, EVENLY TEXTURED RESULTS.

ANOTHER FACT:  BAKER'S SUGAR IS NOT ONLY ULTRA FINE, BUT IS PURE CANE SUGAR NOT BEET SUGAR.  WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?  CANE SUGAR COMES FROM NATURALLY SWEET SUGAR CANE AND MAKES FOR SUPERIOR BAKING PRODUCTS, ACCORDING TO A TOP FOOD EXPERT TASTE TEST.

For the Crisp Meringues:

1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup C&H Pure Cane Baker’s Sugar
Pinch Kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

The egg whites perform best at room temperature.  Place egg whites and cream of tartar in  bowl of electric mixer with whisk attachment.  Whip egg whites until frothy, then continue to beat while slowly adding all of the baker’s sugar over the course of 1 minute.  Add salt, vanilla bean scrapings and whip until incorporated.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with plain tip with meringue and pipe into 8, 2” filled-in discs on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 200°F degree oven for 1 hour and turn oven off, leaving meringue disks in oven overnight to dry out.

For the Soft Italian Meringue:

½ cup C&H Pure Cane Baker’s Sugar
¼ cup water
2 egg whites 

Combine baker’s sugar and water in small saucepan.  Bring sugar syrup to a boil.  When  sugar syrup starts to boil, begin whipping egg whites in electric mixer.  When syrup reaches 222°F (with a sugar thermometer) remove from the heat and slowly pour into whites.  Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.

To Assemble:

Scoop 1-2 ounces of your favorite sorbet or ice cream on disc of crisp meringue.  Using small spatula or back of a spoon, smooth some of soft meringue around sorbet or ice cream to completely cover it.  Repeat for all 8 meringue disks.  Lightly brown meringue by putting under broiler for approximately 1 minute.  Serve immediately or return to freezer to serve later.  Can be assembled and frozen for 2-4 hours before serving.

Serves 8.

Nutritional information per serving with ice cream: 90 calories, .58g total fat, 2mg cholesterol, 84mg sodium, 0g fiber, 2g protein.  With sorbet: 84 calories, 0g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 80mg sodium, .01g fiber, 1g protein.

Recipe property of Elizabeth Falkner.