I have found molasses in Hong Kong. Let the holiday baking commence!
Or should it? Did you know there are three types of molasses? There is light, dark and black strap. In my holiday haste and excitement, I failed to read the full label as there was only one jar left on the shelf, so I snagged it. I headed for home and started making my ginger bread cookies https://www.hwcmagazine.com/desserts/gingerbread-girls-and-boys/. I came to a full halt when I started to pour the molasses out of the jar. It was super thick and super dark and not anything like Mrs. Baer Rabbits Full flavour molasses in the orange jar.
I had inadvertently purchased crude black strap molasses. You know the kind that is used for medicinal treatment of various ailments, savoury dishes and used in the deep south for baked beans and even a supplement in cattle feed.
Did you also know that molasses can be used as the principal ingredient for distillation of rum and used in making certain dark beers like stouts? Did you know molasses can be used as an iron supplement? Did you know it can be used as a chelating ingredient for removing rust and also an a minor ingredient for mortar and brickwork? So it has that going for it.
So how is all of that going to help me make my gingerbread cookies? I made batch of my cookies using the black strap molasses one for one just as I used the dark Mrs. Baer Rabbit’s brand. I baked a couple of cookies for a test batch and they came out slightly bitter. Good tasting by just not sweet enough. I then began to experiment with different combinations of molasses and brown sugar combinations and found if I used only 1/4 cup black strap molasses and one cup dark brown sugar, it was perfectly balanced. My dear sister gave me a Michigan cookie cutter on her last visit and here are the cookies before they were inhaled by my hungry teenage boys wolverines!
The lesson learned here is that you cannot use black strap molasses in the same way or exchange one for one in recipes that call for dark or light molasses.
Molasses is made by a special process where they take cane sugar plant and break it down and do a boil. The first boil is called “cane sugar” or light molasses and has the most sugar content. The second boil has less sugar content and is little slightly more bitter and is darker in color and is sometimes called dark molasses and this is usually the type of molasses I use in my gingerbread cookies and recipes. The third boil has the least amount of sugar content and is very dark, very robust and has lots of vitamins and minerals and this is called “black strap molasses”.
In addition, black strap molasses is an excellent source of manganese and copper. It is a very good source of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Blackstrap molasses also is a good source of vitamin B6 and selenium. So let the holiday baking commence!
Don’t let living abroad, living in a remote place or living in a place with only a microwave hamper your holiday plans and traditions. There are ways around everything, it just takes a little creativity.
If you do not own a stove give my snowy bombs a try as you can melt the chocolate in the microwave stir in the ingredient and you done! https://www.hwcmagazine.com/desserts/snowy-chocolate-bombs/
My eldest son favorite cookies are peanut butter cookies with chocolate kisses. If you have peanut allergies just swap out for almond butter or soy butter and they are just as delicious. https://www.hwcmagazine.com/desserts/hugs-and-peanut-butter-chocolate-kisses-for-santa/
Gluten allergies in your family? No problem as everyone loves a 5 minute rich chocolate pudding. https://www.hwcmagazine.com/desserts/homemade-rich-chocolate-pudding/
My youngest son loves cut out cookies and these are great for bringing into school or for a cookie exchange. https://www.hwcmagazine.com/desserts/prepare-the-visqueen-time-to-make-the-christmas-sugar-cut-out-cookies/
Are you looking for a quick and easy way to use up those cranberries? I have a great little holiday cranberry muffin that is super easy and always a crown pleaser.Cranfusion Red Ruby Gem Muffins
Are you craving a little chocolate? How about these festive little Christmas tree brownies. https://www.hwcmagazine.com/desserts/double-chocolate-chunk-christmas-tree-brownies/
Are you looking for a healthy gluten free, lactose free and egg free dessert to satisfy your hunger and your chocolate craving? You do not even need an oven or a microwave for these little chocolate figgy truffles. Chocolate Fig Truffles
Happy Baking and Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season!
What a wonderful and mouthwatering array of treats, Bam! So happy to see you’ve highlighted some of great qualities of molasses, they are rich in minerals and vitamins…and each type has a unique use:)
Oh BAM you learnt a lot didn’t you! I have heard of adding molasses (or treacle) to beer so that makes sense. An dI remember some of the posts you mentioned. But most of all I like your positivity and approach to life. Happy New Year x
Thank you Claire for your kind comment. I really did learn a lot about molasses while testing here in Healthy World Cuisine. Sometimes some of the best inventions are made of necessity. Wishing you a very warm and safe holiday season. BAM
Oh wow, you make really cute gingerbread men/women!
I actually didn’t know about Molasses until not a long ago…one recipe required it and I was like what’s that? 😀 I don’t think we can find it easily in Japan too (or maybe there are and I didn’t know). Love your holiday cookies! So festive! Hope you’re enjoying this holiday season!
Hehe, “black strap” molasses must be what we call “Black Treacle” in England. Not sure if “light molasses” is the same as our Golden Syrup, is it? No idea, but I’ve always found both an absolutely indispensable ingredient in so many baking recipes, but I can definitely see that the wrong kind might throw a spanner in the works, somewhat! 😀
Hi there Charles! Do you use Black Treckle to make your Christmas pudding? I do not know if golden syrup and light molasses are the same but that would be another good experiment for us to conduct in our kitchens. Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday. Take Care, BAM
such a feast of baked goodies…we are drooling,great to learn about molasses,thanks for sharing & Very Happy Baking 🙂
Wow Bam! so much holiday baking!! you’re all set for Christmas! Glad you stuck out on the gingerbread cooking baking..
I didnt know that black molasses could cure ailments! First time hearing that here..Now I know what to avoid!
Look at all your goodies!! I love cut-out cookies, but I have no decorating patience!! My hubby brews beer, so I actually knew that molasses is used to make stouts 🙂
What a fantastic post Bam! I learned a lot about Molasses and even more about the long list of delicious treats you have to offer us hear at the holidays. Way to stay with the gingerbread cookie baking…I would have given up and you persevered!
Congratulations BAM! You have been awarded:
— Most Influential Blogger Award —
I take pleasure in directing readers to blogs I enjoy. You have been awarded at:
http://fae-magazine.com/2013/12/11/awards-december-2013part-2/
… Or, after a month, look for it
here >> http://fae-magazine.com/awards/2013-blog-awards/
Enjoy your Award!
Wishing you and yours the Happiest of the Holiday Season! 😀 Fae.
Thank you Fae for thinking of me! Wishing you a super holiday! BAM
Everything looks fabulous Bam! Especially those beautifully decorated gingerbread men and women. Whenever a recipe calls for molasses, they always say “not black strap”. I never knew what that was, having never seen it. Now, I know!
I never knew about the different types of molasses! These cookies look great!
Awesome tutorial on molasses! I definitely learned a lot. I love making gingerbread cookies but I hate the part of rolling them out. They’re still on my list do do this season…procrastination yes. 🙂
OMG, those cookies are so cute! Awesome tutorial & love the way you drew those faces!
Buona sera, BAM! Putting aside your fabulous cookies for a moment, your reference to your boys as hungry “wolverines” caught my eye. Could they be? When I saw the Michigan cookie, I knew that yes, you’re a U of M family. Go Blue, indeed! 🙂
What a variety of cookies, BAM. There’s something here for all tastes. I’m with your Son, though, and love peanut butter cookies with a Hershey kiss on top. They’re both cookie and chocolate candy, the best of both worlds. Thanks, too, for the molasses lesson. I’ve never cooked with it and when I do, I’ll know to look at what I’m buying. Up until now, I didn’t realize there was more than 1 kind. Up until a fw minutes ago, I would have just grabbed a jar and, like you, wouldn’t have known any better until I went to use it. 🙂
Buona sera John and Go Blue! How is the weather in Chicago? I will try to send some warm breezes from Hong Kong your way. You probably did not know but not until I moved to Asia did cooking turn into such an ordeal. It is so easy to cook and bake in the USA as you have everything you need and many options to choose from. It is downright painful trying to cook Western food or bake in Asia. I guess that is why I cook so many Asian dishes. Wishing you a blessed holiday and happy cooking!
Lots of wonderful suggestions for holiday goodies. You were so clever to work out the problem with the molasses.