Advertising promotion

Sugar is truly one of the most versatile ingredients, transforming simple meals into extraordinary experiences. Available in various types, from finely granulated to powdered to brown sugar with its notes of molasses, each variety brings its own unique properties and flavours. This makes sugar not just a sweetener, but a true culinary hero. It caramelises into golden sauces, crystallises into sparkling confections, and balances everything out – so it's no wonder that after a satisfying dinner, we instinctively reach for something sweet.

This craving for sugar has even triggered the “little sweet treat” movement – a moment of indulgence that borders on self-care after a long, hard day. But what counts as a sweet treat?

Think fluffy brown sugar marshamallows or the Middle Eastern confectionery Turkish delight.

Turkish delight

The process sees you cooking the mixture, low and slow, stirring constantly until a thick, translucent paste that looks a lot like sweet silk forms. It’s flavoured, set, cut into cubes and dusted with icing sugar for a sweet finish for the more sophisticated palate.

Turkish delight

Brown sugar marshmallows

If you’re looking for a little more whimsy and pure nostalgic joy, brown sugar marshmallows are the sweet treat your inner child needs.

Cooking the brown sugar before adding it to the egg whites results in a richer flavour – such is the magic of not-so-humble sugar!

They’re set, cut, and dusted in icing sugar for the final act of magic.

The result? Fluffy clouds with caramel notes that instantly transport you back to simpler times.

Brown sugar marshmallows

Find more sweet treat recipes here

If these little cubed confections inspire you to explore sugar's transformative power even further, consider how each type of sugar can completely reinvent something as simple as icing.

6 buttercreams worth trying

1. American buttercream is wonderfully nostalgic.
2. Swiss meringue buttercream takes on a sophisticated caramel depth with Demerara's golden crystals.
3. Italian meringue buttercream whispers comfort with light brown sugar.
4. French buttercream achieves silky perfection with fine caster sugar's delicate texture.
5. German buttercream embraces Muscovado's rich molasses notes for something deeply indulgent.
6. Ermine buttercream becomes earthy and complex with organic unrefined brown sugar's natural minerals.

One thing's for certain: sugar doesn't merely add sweetness, it completely transforms, proving that it's the ultimate shape-shifter, capable of taking you from childhood comfort one minute to sophisticated luxury the next.

Photography: Shavan Rahim

Videography: Kaylene Sauls

Recipes and production: Marcelle van Rooyen

Food assistant: Bianca Jones

Shop at Woolworths