Sugar cubes are really easy to make at home. All you need is sugar and water. In addition to the traditional ones, you can create colorful and flavored variations to make parties more fun. Learn how to make sugar cubes with two different methods: use a baking sheet or an ice cube tray to leave out overnight.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Prepare the Sugar Cubes in the Oven
Step 1. Pour a cup of sugar into a bowl
You can use any type of sugar (raw, granulated, cane) with the exception of powdered sugar.
Step 2. Add three teaspoons of water to the bowl
Pour them over the sugar evenly and let the water soak in for a few seconds.
Step 3. Mix the water and sugar with a fork
Try to get rid of the lumps, getting a smooth mixture. If any lumps remain, keep stirring to dissolve them. The sugar will be ready when it can hold its shape if compressed.
Step 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
You can use any type of pan or ovenproof dish, made of metal or glass. The important thing is that it can be used in the oven.
Step 5. Pour the sugar onto the parchment paper
Compress it firmly using a spatula or other hard, flat tool. The layer should be as high as a sugar cube, approximately 1.27 centimeters.
- If you want to make the cubes with other shapes, pour the sugar into baking molds. You can also use muffin molds.
- If you have molds that don't go into the oven, you can use them anyway: pour the sugar inside and flatten the surface with the spatula; then, cover the sugar with parchment paper and, instead of putting them in the oven, leave the molds on the kitchen counter overnight. In the morning, the sugar will have hardened.
Step 6. Cut the sugar with a knife
Create precise cubes, squared, according to the size you prefer. Don't forget this step, or you will end up with a single block of sugar instead of many small lumps.
Step 7. Preheat the oven to 120 ° C, then place the pan in the oven for 1 hour
Step 8. Remove the pan from the oven after an hour
Let the cubes cool for at least 10 minutes.
Step 9. Break the cubes
Remove the sugar from the pan and break the cubes with your hands or a knife. If you cut them well, they will split easily.
Step 10. Store the cubes
Put them in a vacuum container for future use, or put them in your coffee or tea right away!
Method 2 of 2: Version with the Ice Tray
Step 1. Get an ice cube tray
This method becomes very simple if you use a silicone tray, perhaps in the shape of a heart, stars, animals or something more fun than the usual cube. The silicone trays make everything easier because it will be easier to extract the cubes without damaging them.
Step 2. Pour the sugar into the bowl
You can use more than half a cup, but if you're doing this for the first time that's more than enough to practice.
Step 3. Add a teaspoon of water and mix
Keep adding a teaspoon of water at a time until you have a thick paste. It must not be too moist or sticky, or the sugar will dissolve.
- At this point, you can add a few drops of food coloring if you want to make colored cubes.
- Maybe you could add a few drops of vanilla or lemon extract to make flavored cubes.
Step 4. Use a spoon to pour the sugar-based paste into the compartments of the bowl, filling them halfway full
Step 5. Squeeze the sugar with a spoon, leveling the surface
Step 6. Let the sugar dry
Put the tray in a dry place and wait for the water to evaporate. If the kitchen is too moist, the sugar will not harden.
Step 7. Take the cubes out of the tray
Do this gently, pushing from the base. Gently tap the bottom of the tub with the palm of your hand. Once you have extracted them all, store them in a vacuum container or use them immediately.
Step 8. Finished
Advice
- You can decorate the cubes to make cute little gifts.
- For a jaw-dropping effect, place both white cubes and brown sugar cubes on the table.
- Flavor the cubes to make them as tasty as candy. Add vanilla or cinnamon to plain granulated sugar. Brown sugar also serves to create an interesting contrast with the white cubes.
- The cubes prepared in this way are a bit grainy and slightly different from those already made.
- Do not store the lumps in humid environments.