It used to be that I would irrationally panic a bit when faced with measuring out sticky liquid sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and molasses. The thought of trying to scrape every last bit of sticky stuff into my mixing bowl while simultaneously trying to keep it from traveling onto my hands and into my hair gave me the heebie-jeebies. And then there’s the issue of filling the cup or spoon riiight to the top, with no spillage. Maybe I’m just spectacularly uncoordinated, but I had to take control and stop the madness. Here’s how I now measure the sticky stuff.
Measuring by weight. I highly recommended becoming cozy with a kitchen scale for all your baking, but when it comes to measuring liquid sweeteners, I find a scale to be the key to avoiding insanity. Nearly every liquid sweetener weighs 21 grams (about ¾ ounce) per tablespoon. Do some quick math, and just pour away, right into the bowl or saucepan that requires the syrup. Clean and easy.
Measuring by volume. If you lack a scale or just aren’t in the weighing headspace yet as a baker, you can still have a stress-free measuring experience with liquid sweeteners. The secret is nonstick cooking spray. A little spritz on the inside of your measuring cup or spoon makes thick syrups slip right out. No sticky cleanup, no threads of goo, no cursing.