As thick as molasses

We’re all familiar with molasses and I’m sure we’ve all baked with it before; but, most people don’t even know what it is. I mean what is molasses really?

Molasses is a thick, sweet syrup that is leftover from the process of refining cane sugar. The cane sugar is boiled three times, and thus the molasses is the resultant condensed form of the crystalized sucrose in the cane sugar. While many assume molasses is another unhealthy, sugary substance, it is surprisingly one of the most nutrient-rich sweeteners available.

There are many varieties of molasses, one of the most common being blackstrap. Blackstrap molasses contains an abundance of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. Since the cane sugar is boiled over and over again, the minerals become more concentrated, making molasses a dense, but healthful syrup.

When used in a recipe, molasses imparts a deep, rich color and distinctive taste, so it’s an ideal ingredient to use in many baked goods, like gingerbread. Molasses is also a key ingredient in the signature Bostonian dish, baked beans; it adds depth, an earthy sweetness, and sugary viscosity to the beans.

I love baked beans, but I also love gingerbread, and I make gingerbread every year during Christmas time. There is just something about the spicy, gingery, sweet cake that comforts the soul and simply tastes like Christmas itself.

Mary Engelbreit wrote a magnificent cookbook dedicated completely to sweets, called the Sweet Treats Dessert Cookbook. Among all the delicious goodies, this gingerbread is by far one of my favorites.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup minced crystalized ginger
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the flour, ground ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, molasses, melted butter, milk, and egg until smooth. With a wooden spoon, stir the molasses mixture into the flour mixture until the batter is smooth and thoroughly mixed. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the gingerbread for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan and dust the top with confectioners’ sugar.