Corn Syrup in Unexpected Foods

www.huffingtonpost.com - September 5th, 2012

High-fructose corn syrup, the cheap, prevalent and much maligned sweetener, is famously in foods like soda, candy and cake. If you look out for it, you may know that it's also in many sauces and dressings. But what about macaroni and cheese? Or frozen pizza?

After the Healthy Living team found corn syrup solids printed high on the ingredients list of some nuts we were snacking on here at the office, we decided to investigate. Just how often did we find corn-based sweeteners in surprising places?

The jury is still out on whether or not high-fructose corn syrup (a subtype of corn syrup) is more, or differently, damaging than any other amount of sugar. One Princeton rat study found that HFCS, as it is known, causes more weight gain than sucrose in the same amount. But criticism of the study design left the finding in doubt.

What we do know is that, given its cheap price it is easy for companies to pack more sugar into a food using HFCS and other corn-based sugars. And thanks to myriad names and formulations, those looking for sugar may gloss right over many of the sweeteners on ingredient lists. Overall, we eat too much sugar -- much of it hidden by different names. Part of that overconsumption has to do with disregard of the recommendations, but some of it can be attributed to the prevalence of sugar in unlikely foods. Here are some surprising, insidious sources of corn-based sugars that we found at our local grocery store. What unlikely place have you found sweeteners?

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Spiced Roasted Pumpkin

2 lbs pumpkin, any kind (chop into bite size chunks)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon raw brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well to fully combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked, crispy, and a golden color.

Serve warm as a side dish with your favorite meal.

Sweet Cinnamon Bread

3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 ounce dry yeast (1 packet highly active yeast)

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup water

2 large eggs, room temperature

Honey (Glaze)

Mix 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together. Set aside.

Heat water, butter, and milk until very warm. Using a electric mixer on medium speed, beat in the flour mixture gradually until dough is thick (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and 1 cup of flour. Add in the rest of the flour, just enough to make a stiff dough. Knead for about 10 minutes. Place dough in a greased glass bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place until it doubles in size.

Filling:

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 cup raw brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Melt butter and add brown sugar. Add cinnamon. Stir to combine.

Punch dough down and roll on a floured surface with a rolling bin to make 15" by 9" rectangle. Spread generously with the filling. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Roll dough up from the 15" side. Place in a greased large bread tin or two small ones.

Cover and place in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 1hour).

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Brush dough with egg-wash. Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Glaze with honey.

White Chocolate Raspberry Muffin

Muffins:

3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup white chocolate chunks
8 tablespoons butter, melted

3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1/2 cup greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 F

Whisk all the dry ingredients to fully combine. Fold in chocolate and fresh raspberries. Set aside. Beat all the wet ingredients to combine and fold into the dry.

Scoop into a lined 24 cup muffin pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a stick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the pan.

   

Lemon-Fig Drop Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 stick unsalted butter (4oz), room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons of grated lemon peel

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons lemon-fig preserve or similar

Preheat oven to 350 F

Whip butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one a the time. Sift in dry ingredients.

On a floured surface, roll dough into a 12 inch log to make 12 - 1 inch pieces. Use your finger to create a hole in the center of each cookie. Pour preserves into a small piping bag. Fill holes 1/2 full of preserves. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

   

Chocolate Espresso Self-Saucing Cakes

Cakes:

1 cup all purpose flour or all purpose GF flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon good quality cocoa

Pinch of salt

1 tablespoon strong espresso coffee, cold

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup milk

1/3 powdered/icing sugar

1 egg, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 4 small ramekins. 

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Whisk butter, milk, espresso, egg, and sugar to combine. Pour into flour mixture and stir until smooth. Spoon into ramekins and put on a baking sheet.

Sauce:

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

3/4 cup boiling water

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour chocolate sauce mixture over cake batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Serve immediately with lot's of fresh whipped cream and/or ice cream.