A thick, flavorful syrup prepared from sugar cane or sugar beets is known as Molasses. Many baking recipes call for Molasses, which adds richness and moisture to some of our favourites including ginger snaps, cookies, and other baked goods.
Brown sugar is made by mixing Molasses with cane Granules. The brown sugar gets its distinctive colour and moist texture from Molasses, which makes it perfect for use in baked products.
A number of recipes call for Molasses, particularly those for baked products. Additionally, it works well for marinades and sauces that call for a particular amount of sweetness, such as Southern-style barbecue sauce. Using Molasses instead of honey or maple syrup in recipes is also a terrific idea. You may get wonderful results by drizzling Molasses on that stack of Pancakes or mixing it into the cookie batter.
Enslaved Africans worked on sugar Plantations in European colonies to make Molasses, which was a significant commercial commodity in the Americas. The product was a significant import for the British colonies in North America since they utilised Molasses to make rum, particularly in New England’s Distilleries.
What is Gluten?
Wheat, rye, and barley all include a class of proteins called gluten that aids in maintaining the structure of meals. While not inherently harmful, it can be harmful to some medical disorders, such as celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that can harm the intestines when gluten is consumed.
After the sugar has been taken out, the liquid from sugarcane or sugar beets is used to make Molasses. The result of boiling down this liquid is Molasses, a viscous syrup with a sweet flavour.
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Types of Molasses
Following are the types of Molasses,
Light Molasses
Light molasses is the lightest in colour and the sweetest in flavour is light Molasses. It is the most widely used Molasses in the United States.
Dark Molasses
As a result of its second boiling, dark molasses has a richer, deeper molasses flavour with undertones of bitterness. It works well in molasses cake, molasses candy, molasses crinkle cookies, gingerbread and gingersnap cookie recipes and is deeper in colour.
Blackstrap Molasses
The least quantity of sugar and the darkest colour both contribute to the naturally bitter flavour that results from the longest boiling. Blackstrap molasses is a natural source of vitamin B6, which is required for the body to use carbohydrates, lipids, and protein. Iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium are also abundant in them. Blackstrap Molasses has a number of health advantages, including the ability to cure anaemia since it is a strong source of iron.
Sorghum Molasses
It is not true Molasses since it is made from sugarcane or sugar beets. The same technique used to extract the liquid from sugarcane may also be used to obtain sugar from the gluten-free grass sorghum. Molasses has a thicker texture than sorghum syrup, which has a comparable sweetness but a slightly more bitter flavour.
Sulphured Molasses
The sugar cane used to make Sulphured Molasses is still immature. Manufacturers will add sulphur dioxide to the molasses to preserve the sugar cane until it is suitable for processing.
Unsulphured Molasses
It is made from mature sugar cane that is in ripe form and does not require sulphur dioxide to preserve it.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Bob’s red mill gluten-free baking flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus additional sugar for rolling out the dough
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Nutritional Facts
| Calories | 192Kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 29g |
| Protein | 2g |
| Fat | 8g |
| Saturated Fat | 5g |
| Trans Fat | 1g |
| Cholesterol | 29mg |
| Sodium | 196mg |
| Potassium | 113mg |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Sugar | 17g |
| Vitamin A | 250IU |
| Vitamin C | 1mg |
| Calcium | 38mg |
| Iron | 1mg |
Steps for Preparation
The steps for the preparation of gluten-free Molasses are as follow,
- To make the cookie dough, mix together your flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl. Set it aside.
- Next, add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl and cream the ingredients together for about 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
- Add the Molasses, egg, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and blend until smooth.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until no more streaks of flour remain, and you have a beautiful cookie dough. Please note the dough will be sticky to the touch.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for an hour until it becomes firm and is no longer sticky. Chilling will allow the flour to hydrate and reduce the grittiness of the cookies.
Baking the Cookies
- While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Scoop out 1-inch balls of dough and roll each in Granulated sugar before placing them on your baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each dough ball
- I can typically get 6-8 cookies on my baking sheet, and you’ll be able to make about 18 cookies in total. Bake the cookies in batches, storing the raw dough in the fridge until it’s ready to go into your oven.
Baking Time
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for five minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Repeat the baking process with the remaining cookie dough until all Molasses cookies are baked.
How to Use Molasses?
Both baking and cooking need Molasses. Using Molasses in baked items is fairly common, especially during the holiday season. Molasses may enhance the flavor of baked goods such as bread, gingerbread cookies, gingersnaps, cookies, and cakes.
Additionally, molasses may be fermented to create xanthan gum. The gluten-free sector relies heavily on xanthan gum because it functions similarly to gluten in holding baked goods together by functioning as a glute.
Due to its potent water-binding and texture-altering abilities, xanthan gum is a sugar derivative that is often utilized in the culinary and food industries. On the ingredient list of many foods, xanthan gum can be found alongside other substances.
A fantastic sugar alternative and sweetener is molasses. The important thing is that it doesn’t contain gluten, therefore people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can eat it without any problem.
Storage of Molasses
It’s crucial to keep in mind that heat and humidity are your major risks when preserving molasses. To reduce the possibility of mould development, store your molasses in a cold, dry environment. If it becomes too warm, you can store it in the refrigerator, but you’ll want to use it while it’s at room temperature to preserve the consistency as colder temperatures could make it more difficult to pour.
Different Brands of Gluten-Free Molasses
There are different brands of gluten-free Molasses,
Brer Rabbit Unsulphured Molasses
This molasses is among the best brands available, and it is gluten-free. Additionally, it is available in the light, dark, and blackstrap grades.
| Calories | 60 |
| Sodium | 25mg |
| Total Sugars | 12g |
| Carbohydrates | 15g |
Crosby’s Molasses
It includes fancy molasses, cooking molasses, and blackstrap molasses. Wholesome Sweeteners: It is a type of blackstrap molasses. It is gluten-free, unsulfured, organic and super rich in minerals.
| Calories | 60 |
| Sodium | 15mg |
| Total Sugars | 10g |
| Carbohydrates | 14g |
Plantation
It is another gluten-free choice that comes in organic and in blackstrap varieties.
| Calories | 60 |
| Sodium | 35mg |
| Total Sugars | 11g |
| Carbohydrates | 14g |
Healthy Benefits of Molasses
Iron, selenium, and copper are all nutrients found in molasses that support strong bones. We wouldn’t go so far as to call it nutritious food, though. There are many more nutrient-dense whole meals available that will provide the same additional advantages without having as much sugar. A high-sugar diet can cause insulin surges and high blood sugar levels, which can result in type 2 diabetes. Since the amount of sugar in molasses soon overcomes any nutritional advantages, you shouldn’t rely on them.
Of course, you may consume molasses in moderation, and when combined with a diet rich in full, nutrient-dense foods and regular exercise, it shouldn’t have a negative impact on your health. However, it might become a problem if you eat too much of it.
Conclusion
A common sweetener that is nutritious, gluten-free, and convenient to store is molasses. It’s a terrific complement to your gluten-free diet when consumed in moderate amounts.
The moisture that covers the Molasses evaporates when it is exposed to air, which causes the sugar granules to adhere to one another. The brown sugar hardens and becomes a solid chunk of sugar as the Molasses dry up. After opening it, make sure to properly close it to prevent this from occurring.