Swedish pearl sugar is made by compressing sugar crystals to form larger, round particles that won’t dissolve in baked goods. (Another larger type of Belgian pearl sugar used almost exclusively in Belgian Liège waffles melts into the dough.) That quality makes it perfect as a finishing touch for many baked goods. When we mail-ordered a bag and used the crystals to top sugar cookies and sweet breads, we found that the “pearls” maintained their crunch and shape during baking in both applications.
How To Use Pearl Sugar
Use it as you would turbinado sugar: Sprinkle a few teaspoons onto muffins, biscuits, cookies, or breads (brushed first with beaten egg white) before baking.
CRUNCHY CRYSTALS: Use Swedish pearl sugar to garnish baked goods.
A chewy cookie with a crisp exterior and a big jolt of brown sugar flavor sounded easy to develop, but first we needed to understand the not-so-simple science of cookies.