Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I use this to make brown sugar (no brown sugar on my side of the mountain) but have never used it before and the only thing I have ever seen it described as is kind of tonic or a healthier method of sweetening. Anyone use it for anything else? Just curious.

Mary

I was excited a couple of weeks ago when King Arthur Flour posted a recipe for Caramel Corn with Molasses as one of the ingredients. I also made some Hermits awhile back that used Molasses and they were really good. My bottle has about 2 oz left, so it's time to buy some more.

A little is really good in pumpkin pie.

I use regular molasses in cookies but not the black kind (black strap???). It isn't as sweet and is really black.

Mary

I use it in gingerbread, baked beans, anything pumpkin and cookies. Love the stuff! It pairs particularily well with candied ginger in baked goods.

I buy mine at the health food store, where they pump it out of a big stainless steel tank. It's about a buck for 2 cup container.

They also sell honey and peanut butter that way.

Laurie

I will have to try it and baked beans sound fantastic right now. I will have to put them on my menu list.

Mary

Mary,

Blackstrap is, teaspoonwise, sweeter than granulated white sugar. It also has a strong bitter aftertaste, so it can't just be substituted for sugar, and even recipes which were written for the milder barbados molasses will taste off if made with blackstrap.

For some recipes, though, like gingerbread, baked beans, and even a friend of mine's peanut sauce, the bitterness is essential. The "healthful" portion comes from the iron content of molasses, which is highest in blackstrap.

Here's a little recipe for New Orleans-style coffee, which I make occasionally:

Dark-roasted coffee, such as any "french roast".
Roasted chicory root, ground*
Evaporated Milk (substitute cream)
Molasses

Grind the chicory root and the coffee together, about 2/3 coffee and 1/3 chicory. Brew using a cone filter or french press, very dark. In each cup, put two tablespoons of evaporated milk and a tablespoon of molasses. Pour in the coffee and stir.

* Roasted chicory root is available in coarse ground form in many health food stores as a coffee substitute or herbal tea ingredient. Where you'd get it in Switzerland, I have no idea; I imagine it's never occurred to Europeans to eat the roots, just like Americans never seem to eat the leaves.

Thanks for the explanation. I am sure that if I can't get brown sugar chicory is hopeless.

I can get only the black molasses (from the drug store or a health food store) and the stuff at the super market is called table molasses. I think some gingerbread-like cookies are made with the black.

Mary

I think that chicory is actually an import from Europe. I mean it grows in North America, but it came from Europe. Maybe they use another name there?

It is the same word but I have only seen it as a green. I might have to go into a health food store and see if it is there.

Mary