Sugar

Once a luxury only for the rich, "white gold" used to come in blocks, not granulated. Sugar cane and sugar beets are the common sources of this plentiful sweetener, which also lends a tenderness to doughs, stability to mixtures, browning properties to baked goods and preservative qualities in large quantities. Granulated or white sugar is the common form, though superfine (known as castor) dissolves better in baking. Confectioner's or powdered sugar is often used decoratively, as are sugar crystals or decorating sugar. Brown sugar is simply white sugar combined with molasses, not to be confused with raw sugar, the residue left after sugarcane has been processed to remove the molasses and refine the sugar crystals.