How many types of sugar do you use?

Tate & Lyle recently got in touch and asked if I'd like to receive some of their products in order to try one of their recipes. I had a quick browse through the recipes on their website and kept going "ooh that one ... oh no, that sounds even better ... oooh I haven't made that for years ... oh but that sounds nice too !". With everything from Pina Colada puddings and Scandinavian Cinnamon Buns to French Onion Soup, it was just too hard to choose, so I told them to feel free to send what they like and I'd work with it. Shortly afterwards, this lovely lot arrived, which got me investigating the different types of sugar available. Here's what I discovered on the Taste & Smile website :

Golden Caster - A light bodied, pale golden sugar with delicate honey flavour, evoking the sweet fairground candy floss scent. Inspired by The Mayan Journey, from the home of spectacular pyramids and temples, and the rich cultivated land that provides some of the best sugar cane in the world.

Dark Muscovado - A rich and aromatic flavour with a moist, fudgy texture. Full Bodied Rich, Flavour Strength 5. One of the sticky intense dark sugars that characterise the rich territory of Barbados. 

Light Muscovado - Inspired by the Caribbean, with a creamy aromatic flavour, a warm honey colour and delightfully moist, crumbly texture.

Demerera - A fruity, sweet-spiced sugar with large glassy amber crystals providing a distinctive textural crunch. Inspired by a 17th century cultivation on the banks of what is now known as the River Demerara in Guyana.

Icing Sugar - Finely ground white sugar. Essential for making glacé or butter cream icing.

Granulated Sugar with Stevia - Twice as sweet as standard sugar so you only have to add half as much to cut calories by 50%. Stevia is 100% natural, tastes sweet like sugar, but contains no calories.

I also received a special commemorative tin of Lyle’s Golden Syrup for Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday. The Birthday edition tin pays tribute to Her Majesty with a ‘Happy Birthday’ message and royal carriage design to mark this very special occasion. The limited edition Lyle’s Golden Syrup ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOUR MAJESTY’ tin will be available for a limited period from April to July 2016 in all national retailers with an RRP of £1.15 (454g) and £1.95 (907g).

That's not the only product to have had a makeover though. We also received a Lyle’s Black Treacle Limited Edition BBQ tin, featuring golden flames to mark the beginning of 2016 BBQ season and remind everyone that black treacle is perfect for BBQ glazes, marinades and sauces, adding a distinctively dark colour, delicious burnt caramel flavour and moisture to summer dishes. ‘LYLE’S STICKY SUMMER’ limited edition BBQ tin will be available for a limited period from April to June 2016 in all national retailers with an RRP of £1.15 (454g).

I'm looking forward to baking up a storm with this lot and will be sure to share our efforts with you !

Disclosure : I received the products for free in order to get creative in the kitchen and try out some of the recipes from the Taste & Smile website.