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Substitute for confectioners sugar anyone?

 
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feeling_zen



Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 2
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 8:14 am    Post subject: Substitute for confectioners sugar anyone? Reply with quote

Does anyone know of a good substitute for confectioners sugar? I live in Japan and it comes in 200g packets that cost about $3 USD so buying enough to makign frosting for a cake would cost a fortune.

I tried making my own confectioners sugar in the blender and it is an untrue urban myth. You do indeed get white powder but run it between your fingers and you find it is still too grainy to be used in cooking. If you try and zap it for too long, it will suddenly caramalize before ever turning into a fine powder.

If you were going to make confectioners icing to decorate a cake and had no icing sugar how would you guys do it?
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jimjimjim9



Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 29

PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ahhh.. the beauties of trying to source gaijin food in Japan.

Since home baking is so rare, stuff like powdered sugar just doesn't move for retailers. One buying option could be to go to a local sweets bakery and explain the occasion of a birthday cake and they will probably be more than happy to cut you an at-cost deal just to help you out as a foreigner.

For making at home, it could well work with a ceramic or marble mortar and pestle, something with closed pores. Suribachi is out. If you have a college student connection, you could get one thru science lab supply. A small , palm-held ceramic mortar really rocks, because both hands can add energy.

The blender doesn't work for final powdering; the crystals must be crushed by pressure. Start with blender for initial breakdown, but in short pulses. The caramelization you witnessed is from friction against the blades. Also, add just a teentsie bit of corn starch (3% to 6% of final volume) so that the larger granulated crystals are grabbed by a matrix of fine particles. And rent a lonnnng movie.

I have not done sugar, but once a year or so I grind my own popcorn salt from sea salt, to a very very fine powder, with only the ceramic palm sized mortar.

Getting 500 grams of this stuff will be a long but Zen event. Patience, Grasshopper.
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feeling_zen



Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 2
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks,

I took your first bit of advice and Italian resturaunt chef in Otaru pointed me to a professional catering cash 'n' carry in Sapporo that has things like confectioner's sugar in big sizes. It seems obvious now - after all resturaunts don't shop at the local supermarket because it would cost a fortune for them to prepare food too. I don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier. In general I find that Tokyu Hands is good for most foreign things like cornmeal etc. but for baking falls way short because the Japanese frost everything with flavoured whipped cream (very tasty but not so good for making roses and designs out of). Finding your nearest catering cash 'n' carry is definately the key to avoid spending hours making confectioners sugar or spending 10000 JPY ($80) just on frosting a cake.
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Taamar



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My standard advice when it comes to "I cant get ****, what can I substitute?" is 'find another recipe that uses what you have'.
A classic Italian buttercream is more work than confectioners icing, but I think you'll find it to be that tastiest you've ever had.


http://www.pastrychef.com/htmlpages/recipes/italian_butter.html
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Jay Francis



Joined: 14 Apr 2006
Posts: 11
Location: Houston, Texas

PostPosted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:51 pm    Post subject: Use a Coffee Grinder Reply with quote

I don't buy confectioner's sugar, I just grind regular sugar into a powder in an electric coffee grinder.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 1:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

there's plenty of cheap confectioners sugar in Japan. In US military commissaries.

Make friends with a military member or an embassy type. They can buy at the Commissaries. price is cheap!

Very few of the local-national employees on base have the right to buy at the commissary. For those who do, it is a highly prized perk.
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The Yakima Kid



Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 27

PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:27 am    Post subject: Homemade confectioner's sugar Reply with quote

Jay Francis wrote:
I don't buy confectioner's sugar, I just grind regular sugar into a powder in an electric coffee grinder.


I don't have problems making it in the blender; I use 7/8 cup granulated sugar with 1 T potato starch. Use the pulse setting on the blender.
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terakat
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Use a Coffee Grinder Reply with quote

Jay Francis wrote:
I don't buy confectioner's sugar, I just grind regular sugar into a powder in an electric coffee grinder.


Great suggestion!!! It really works!
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

not to fear deshi Big smile i too had the powdered sugar blues in J-pan and used condensed milk....voila! it worked wonders. Go to your neighborhood supa- (supermarket) and they should carry a variety from SNOW brand. ganbatte 8=)
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you, Jay Francis, three years ago, you saved my relationship.
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danicamoore



Joined: 16 Sep 2009
Posts: 58
Location: Illinois

PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow feels like I'm in japan. I once live there way before. When I am having reunion with my batch. It is hard to find alternative there when your in a place which is all you can see are confectioner sugar. Jay got great idea with this grinding regular sugar on an electric grinder. Good luck.
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Prego_Cook
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:48 pm    Post subject: FOREIGN BUYERS CLUB IN JAPAN Reply with quote

I see that the original topic was written in 2006 but I thought I'd just let you know that if you are still in Japan - there is a company there that caters to us homesick Americans... REAL AMERCIAN FOOD DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR! It is *great*! Here is their website!

http://www.fbcusa.com/cs/index.php
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alexzeevy



Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 2
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use a coffee grinder and add a little bit of cornflour to keep the sugar from packing. Sure, I can only make like 150 g every time, but it's usually enough for what I need. :-)
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sahnov



Joined: 23 Apr 2010
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

zen, I think that great idea substitute confectioners sugar with electric grinder
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