Recipe Decoder

Glossary

Baking soda: Sodium bicarbonate, a common leavener. It gives off carbon dioxide when mixed with an acidic ingredient, such as buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream.

Baking powder: A leavener that is a combination of sodium bicarbonate and a chemical acid that will dissolve in water to create the same reaction as baking soda. Double-acting baking powders react both when moistened and when heated.

Maple Sugar: Coarse crystalline sugar made by reducing maple syrup over heat. It’s about twice as sweet as granulated sugar.