Okay, this is the real life hack. Instead of stripping brown sugar, just make white sugar from scratch. Wait, what? You heard me. You can actually turn brown sugar back into white sugar by…… no, that’s not how it works. Let me rephrase.
If you only have brown sugar, you can approximate white sugar’s dryness by using it one-to-one. Most recipes call for the same amount by volume. So one cup of packed brown sugar = one cup of white sugar. But—and this is a big but—the molasses adds moisture and acidity.
That means your cookies will be chewier, darker, and more “toffee-like.” For some recipes, that’s a bonus. For a flaky pie crust? It’s a disaster. Use your judgment. If the recipe is for gingerbread? Go for it. For a shortbread? Nope.
