Make Sugar Glaze

Sugar glaze is chiefly used to add flavor and decoration to baked goods. It’s a cinch to make, especially if you use powdered sugar (also known as confectioner's sugar). Granulated or brown sugar takes a little more effort, but not that much! In addition to making glazes for baked goods, you can also use brown sugar glazes with baked hams or to make boring old veggies more enticing.

Ingredients

For baked goods (with powdered sugar): (makes 1/2 cup or 118 ml)

• 1.25 cups powdered sugar (160 g)
• 3 tablespoons milk, water, or dairy-free alternative (44 ml)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional) (30 ml)
• 1.25 tablespoons butter or margarine (optional) (18 ml)

For baked goods (with brown sugar):

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (165 g)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine (44 ml)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (15 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 g)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (60 ml)

For ham: (for a 6 lb. or 3 kg ham)

• 1 cup brown sugar (128 g)
• 12 ounces pineapple juice (355 ml)

For beets: (for 3 cups or 710 g of beets)

• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar (45 g)
• 2 tablespoons orange juice (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine (25 ml)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (1 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (1 g)

For carrots: (for 1 lb. or 0.5 kg of carrots)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon molasses (25 ml)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (30 g)
• 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine (22 ml)
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

Steps

Sticking to Basic Glazes for Baked Goods

1. Keep it simple. Whip up a half cup (118 g) of glaze with only two ingredients: powdered sugar and milk. Pour 1.25 cups (160 g) of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl (160 grams). Stir in 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of milk until the mixture turns smooth.
2. Add a touch of vanilla. Give your glaze a little more flavor. First, stir 2 teaspoons (30 ml) of vanilla extract into your milk. Then pour the mixture into your sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring to mix as you do so.
3. Make it creamier. Use 1.25 tablespoons (18 ml) of butter or margarine for extra flavor and texture. Let it soften on the counter long enough so that it mixes more easily. This could take about 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, you could stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds to speed things up. Then stir it into the glaze until it mixes evenly.
4. Use your glaze as icing on treats. Use these recipes to dress up baked goods. Ice or drizzle doughnuts, cakes, cinnamon buns, pastries, or whatever your munchies crave.
   • For a light drizzle, use a spoon to pour small, thin amounts at a time.
   • For a heavier drizzle, use a liquid measuring cup or any other container with a pouring spout.
   • For a more artful drizzle or icing, pour the glaze into a squeezable icing bag.

Adding Variations to Your Glaze

1. Color your glaze. Make your treat pop off the plate and catch the eye. For every cup of sugar used, add ten drops of food coloring to your mix. Note that if you don’t use the whole batch right away, you will need to stir the glaze up again, because the food coloring may redistribute unevenly as the glaze sits.
2. Tinker with the amounts. Don’t feel beholden to precise measurements. Add more milk or sugar as you please. Adjust your recipe by small increments until you find your favorite balance. For a thinner glaze, use more liquid. For a thicker glaze, use less.
3. Add other flavors. Add a ¼ teaspoon (1 g) of cinnamon for every cup of sugar. Or try a ¼ teaspoon (1 g) of nutmeg instead. Experiment with orange, lemon, and/or lime zest, or your favorite fresh herbs.
4. Make it dairy-free. Make the lactose-intolerant and vegan people in your life happy, too! Substitute water for milk. Or, use dairy-free alternatives like soy, almond, or cashew milk and margarine. If using a nut-based milk, make sure no one has allergies before serving.
5. Try granulated sugar. If you don’t have any powdered sugar, don’t worry. Just expect granulated sugar glaze to be a little more see-through and less eye-catching. Stir together equal parts sugar and water in a pot on the stove. Then simply set the heat to high and stir to dissolve the sugar.
   • To thicken your glaze, keep the heat on so the mixed liquid reduces to your desired consistency.
6. Use brown sugar instead. If you love the rich taste of brown sugar, use that as the base to your glaze! In a saucepan, mix together 3/4 cup (165 g) of dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon (15 ml) of vanilla extract, 1/4 cup (60 ml) of heavy cream, and 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt. Turn the heat on to medium. Keep stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Once the mixture begins to boil, switch the heat off, remove from the stove, and stir until it turns to syrup.

Glazing Ham and Veggies

1. Make a pineapple glaze for your ham. In a glass bowl, combine one cup of brown sugar (45 g) and 12 ounces (355 ml) of pineapple juice. Heat it in a microwave. Keep it an eye on it and remove the glaze once it begins to boil and grow thicker.
   • Start glazing your ham in the last hour of its bake in the oven.
   • Slowly drizzle half of your glaze over the ham.
   • Be careful to distribute it evenly, so the ham has a more or less uniform glaze.
   • Let it bake for another half-hour, then add the rest of your glaze.
2. Make your beets sweeter. In a large nonstick skillet on the stovetop, stir together the following: 3 tablespoons (45 g) dark brown sugar; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) orange juice; 1 tablespoon (25 ml) unsalted butter; ¼ teaspoon (1 g) salt; ¼ teaspoon (1 g) pepper. To glaze your beets:
   • Turn the heat on to medium. Wait for the butter to melt and the sugar to dissolve.
   • Then add 3 cups of steamed beets, cut into cubes, about a half-inch to a full inch in size. Stir those in and cook for six to eight minutes.
3. Glaze your carrots. First, peel one pound (0.5 kg) of whole carrots, then cut each one in half lengthwise. Coat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil. Preheat the skillet over medium heat, then arrange the carrots in the pan, sprinkling them with salt and pepper to taste and then stirring them so they are covered in oil. To make your glaze:
   • Cook the carrots as is for three minutes.
   • Then pour in 1 tablespoon (25 ml) of molasses and 2 tablespoons (30 g) of light brown sugar.
   • Stir until the carrots are evenly coated.
   • Cook for another 5 to 8 minutes.
   • Stir in 1.5 tablespoons (22 ml) of unsalted butter and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
   • Once the butter melts, pluck out the rosemary sprig and serve your carrots.

Things You'll Need

For baked goods:

• Mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Stove (optional)
• Pot or saucepan (optional)

For ham:

• Glass bowl
• Measuring cups
• Microwave
• Stove

For beets and carrots:

• Large nonstick skillet
• Stove
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Wooden spoon

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Sources and Citations

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