Because I think it would be too difficult to completely eliminate sugar from my diet (I do run a bakeshop, after all), I’ve been looking for ways to lessen my intake of the sweet stuff. And here’s one I’ve been particularly pleased with: sugar cubes!

Here’s the thing about sugar cubes: they’re like pre-portioned sugar, so you know exactly what you’re getting in one or two cubes. One sugar cube is approximately equal to 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, and contains around 25 calories (sometimes less, depending on the size of the cube). Sugar cubes were invented by Jakub Krystof Rad, whose wife was tired- literally- of having to cut into sugar “loaves”, which is how most sugar was available in those days (the 1840s). Before packets came along, they were considered the most convenient way of carrying a bit of the sweet stuff around.

So when I have cornflakes for breakfast, I no longer bring out my jar of sugar, spooning away with abandon. Now, I add 3 cubes to my bowl of cereal- and I know I’m only adding 75 calories to my breakfast. Isn’t that cool?

And as for packets- I suppose they could work the same way, but where’s the fun? Sugar cubes can be made into sculptures, colored, and- of course- left out for Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve. Then there’s the classic scene in Moonstruck, when Cher and her father toast her engagement by dropping sugar cubes in their champagne glasses (a classic champagne cocktail recipe, apparently).

My two ovens run almost constantly, and as a result it must be at least 80 degrees in my kitchen all the time. This means that making things like meringues and buttercreams a challenge (although my favorite Chocolate Buttercream holds up quite well), and until recently, most cream cheese frosting I’ve made have been too soft and melty, requiring at least overnight in the refrigerator before it could be used for piping.

So I experimented. More butter, less butter, more powdered sugar, meringue powder… I tried it all. One thing never changed, though- and that’s that I always begun by creaming the cream cheese.

So I experimented. I creamed the butter, added the powdered sugar, a few teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a dash of salt… whipped this up nice and fluffy, and then I added the cream cheese in tablespoons, still cold from the fridge. I let the mixer go for no more than 20 seconds, taking care not to overwhip- and wouldn’t you know it? Perfect cream cheese frosting. Tastes awesome, pipes beautifully.

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter (cold, cut up into 1-inch squares)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 8oz. bar cream cheese (Cold, straight from the fridge. Oh, and Philadelphia is the best. Seriously. Don’t even go near the Neufchatel.)

Cream the butter. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and pinch of salt. If you like, add about a half teaspoon of pure Vanilla extract. Whip until nice and fluffy, but don’t over-whip.

Add the cold cream cheese in tablespoons, and whip together just until the cream cheese is incorporated. Do NOT over-whip.

Here’s something you can do with your kids — that you can make in a bag! No ice cream maker required, just sugar, milk, vanilla, rock salt, ice cubes and a Ziploc bag. Get the instructions and some tips from other parents here.

1. Cover cookie sheets with aluminum foil to get perfectly browned cookies.
2. Use a spoon to shape drop cookies: the more consistent size means they’ll bake more evenly.
3. Chill dough thoroughly if you are rolling out cookies.
4. Monitor the baking time.
5. Remove your cookies from the oven when they still look a little underdone in their centers. They will finish cooking on the cookie sheets.
6. Use the correct fat for your cookies. Don’t substitute shortening for butter!
7. Rotate your cookies halfway through the baking time. The back of the oven gets hotter, faster. If you are cooking more than one sheet of cookies at a time, make sure you switch top and bottom sheets halfway through baking time also.
8. Always use large eggs. This is the standard size egg used for developing cookie recipes.
9. Measure all of your ingredients carefully.
10. Don’t use heaping cups of flour or sugar. Level the surface with a knife.

You can have your cake — and your chocolate too. A simple fondue recipe to impress guests, or cap a romantic dinner.

Ingredients

12 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Amaretto liqueur (optional)
Bite sized pieces of fruit or cake

What’s next

Combine the chocolate and heavy cream in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring constantly, cook for about two minutes, or until melted and smooth. Add the vanilla and liqueur. Serve with the fruit and cake.