I love breakfast foods, and will eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Give me pancakes, French toast, or waffles. But when I order such items at a restaurant, I usually have to ask that the food is not served as usual. I request that they refrain from using a specific ingredient.
I don't want powdered sugar on my breakfast!
Powdered sugar, also known as confectioner's sugar, is simply a finely powdered sugar. Cooks seem to lightly dust this sugar on numerous items, from pancakes to brownies. It is partially a decoration but also adds some sweetness to the food. But I think it is over used. It seems to get added to far too many foods, creating more sweetness than is needed. For example, why should breakfast be such a sweet meal?
Many people add sweet syrup to their pancakes, French toast or waffles, so why do they need the added sweetness of powdered sugar? They really don't. If you don't want the sweetness of syrup, you may not want the sweetness of powdered sugar either. So it seems silly that powdered sugar is a regular addition to pancakes, French toast or waffles.
If anything, it should just be an option you can add to the food. You should have to ask for it to be added, rather than request that it be deleted. Most menus do not even mention that powdered sugar is added to these items. So if you don't see it on the menu, you can't assume that it won't be added.
Adding powdered sugar to many dessert items also seems superfluous. It adds more sweetness than is needed for many dishes. Such heavy handedness with powdered sugar seems a cop out, the easiest fix for an amateur chef. If your dessert was perfectly sweetened, then there would be no need for powdered sugar. Your dessert, just like your breakfast items, should be able to stand on their own.
So what are your thoughts on powdered sugar?
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4 comments:
I hate powdered sugar! For me it's the culinary equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. I'm not sure why it bothers me so much but I do know that eating it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Is it just me?
Cheers!
As a baker with powdered sugar in my repertoire, I will agree that it is grossly overused (not by me, of course!). I will allow that there are many treats where it is appropriate, but it can also be a powdery menace. I don't like this trend of breakfast as dessert at all (no, I don't want whipped cream on my waffles either), but then again, I'm more of a huevos rancheros kinda gal.
But kourebiedes (Greek butter cookies), Mexican wedding cookies and a powdered doughnut wouldn't be the same without. Plus, how can we hide the scars on the cake that didn't release properly from a bundt pan? :-)
One item of note, most powdered sugars actually contain cornstarch (not lots, but some) and those who are sensitive/allergic to corn should know that.
I'm right there with you. It's messy and used as a garish makes things overly sweet. I'm a huge fan of waffles and diners and, funny enough, often find myself eating waffles in diners. Half the time the waitstaff sound shocked at my request for no sugar. "Just butter and syrup." "No powdered sugar?"
Glad to hear I am not the only one! :)
So glad to see all the support on this issue. I certainly agree it can have its place on certain items, but it is used far too often. If I want sweets for breakfast, I'll have a donut or sweet roll. I don't want a sweet waffle or pancake.
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