Can you replace sugar with Jam?
In this experiment I will be trying to see if you can replace the sugar content in a baked good (a muffin) with a 1:1 switch of Marmalade.
I decided I wanted to see if you could replace sugar in a baked good, with jam as a direct replacement. No reason other than I have a LOT of marmalade leftover from when I made marmalade and realised I don’t eat marmalade as much as I thought. I am judging the baking experiment on 3 things- Presentation, Taste, and Texture. I will use my already existing Banana Muffin Recipe, tweak it for flavour combinations, and then see how it goes. For this first experiment I am replacing 1/2 the sugar with marmalade, for no reason other than fear I am making a grave mistake.
The Recipe
2 ripe Bananas (mashed to a smooth pulp)
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 lemons (zest only)
100g/1/2 cup sugar
*100g/1/2 cup Marmalade*
120ml/ 1/2 cup vegetable oil (melted coconut oil also delicious)
280g/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
20g/2 tbsp corn starch (corn flour)
240ml/ 1 cup milk (oat milk works best for non dairy)
The Method
I threw it all into a bowl and mixed it up, and scooped it into the muffin cases. Each case received 2 scoops of batter. I put a layer of marmalade between each because I thought it could use a fun jammy centre.
After baking for 30 minutes at 300f/150C (It took a lot longer than normal) I let them cool slightly before trialling.
Ratings
Presentation:
The jam had sunk to the bottom, which was a great start.
Taste:
I couldn’t really taste it that much in the muffin as an orange flavour, so it didn’t ADD to the overall yumminess
Texture:
Texture was exactly the same as the original recipe, if ever so slightly doughy.
Conclusion:
I need to make this again using 100% replacement of sugar with marmalade, up the flour content to counteract the additional liquid from the jam, and use less ginger, maybe add a touch of cinnamon and clove. I will also up the heat to 350f/185c to make it bake faster.
Why am I doing this? SCIENCE!