MomsRetro Molasses Recipe Help and Cooking Tips

Molasses has a dark, sweet, smoky taste. It is used in cakes, cookies and other savory sweet recipes. It is created during the sugar refining process. Molasses is slightly less sweet than granulated sugar. Until sugar prices fell in the 1930's molasses was the primary sweetener used in American kitchens.

When Grandma's Recipe Calls For Molasses

If you are cooking a vintage recipe I heartily recommend you spring for a jar of molasses. Molasses is the secret ingredient in many cookies, cakes, ham glazes and BBQ sauces. Granulated sugars will not taste the same.

What is Unsulphured Molasses Anyway?

Sulphur dioxide is sometimes used to make molasses sweet. The term 'unsulphured molasses' just means sulphur was not used in the creation of your molasses and it should be the lightest and sweetest type.

Sweet Molasses Measuring Tips

Measuring molasses is easier (and more accurate) if you grease the measuring cup first with a little cooking spray or butter. Remember:

One 12 fluid ounce jar of molasses equals 1 1/2 cups.

One cup equals 8 fluid ounces.

Another molasses trick is to measure the molasses in the same measuring cup as your liquid. This is called the Displacement Method:

Say your recipe uses 3/4 liquid and 1/4 cup of molasses. First, pour the liquid up to the 3/4 cup line. Then add your molasses until it measures 1 cup. It will be accurate and shouldn't stick to the measuring cup.

If you still have room in the measuring cup, add any other wet ingredients and mix everything together before adding it to the dry ingredients. You'll get a better mixed batter for more even taste and texture.

Using Up Leftover Molasses

If you have part of a jar left over grandma would want you to use it up and not let it go to waste. So, try mixing a few tablespoons of molasses into baked beans, poured over ham, drizzled on oatmeal or ice cream. You can also mix it with syrup and butter on pancakes.

Molasses Health Tip

One tablespoon of molasses provides 8% of your daily recommended iron and 4% of your calcium!

Molasses Recipe Substitutions

One cup of molasses equals 1 cup honey. Bear in mind honey is sweeter than molasses and will change the flavor slightly.

OR instead of 1 cup of molasses try 3/4 cup granulated sugar (brown is preferable) plus 1/4 cup water. The extra water (or other liquid) is used to make up for the moisture in molasses needed in the recipe. It is especially important to replace it if you're baking cakes or breads.

Blackstrap molasses is the thickest, darkest and least sweet type of molasses and isn't recommended for baking. Here's a great old fashioned recipe for Corn Cake using molasses as a sweetener.

Molasses Corn Cake Recipe

1 cup corn meal
3⁄4 cup flour
31⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup molasses
3⁄4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter (or margarine)

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add milk with molasses, egg well beaten, and butter. Bake in shallow buttered pan (roughly 9x9 or 8x8) in 425 degree oven for twenty minutes.

Good luck and happy cooking!

I found a great resource for Molasses Recipes at B&G Foods...

Next Recipe Tip Page: Sweet Sugar Substitutions...

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