Piloncillo: Scary Sugar Antidote

I am buzzing with excitement! I experience regular challenges to finding certain foods and ingredients here (don't get me started on the entire aisle devoted to cooking oil but no peanut oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil. Oh and not being able to find popping corn, just transfat-laden microwave popcorn).

But back to the buzz. I just figured out that an excellent sugar option has been right under my nose the WHOLE TIME!

I just ordered a cookbook/nutrition resource I am very excited about. It's called "Nourishing Traditions"

I was reading a sample chapter and saw an ingredient I wasn't familiar with, called rapadura. I looked it up and immediately thought of the brownish cones I see at the supermarket and know is used in a traditional sweet Mexican coffee drink called Cafe de Olla. Did a little more research and, lo and behold, they are one and the same! Rapadura/Piloncillo is unrefined evaporated cane sugar. Which means it doesn't have the same anti-nutritional composition as refined sugar. Additionally, it is apparently quite good for baking. And it's cheap. WHooohooo! SOOO exciting! I'm not going to be able to sleep now.