Is Blackstrap Molasses a Hype?

Recently a friend suggested I start taking a spoonful (or two) of unsulphured blackstrap molasses for health reasons, including reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing the good cholesterol (HDL) ... really? YES! My research netted some pretty good stats which you can read here.  Allow me to summarize ...

So, what is blackstrap molasses? Blackstrap molasses is a sweetener that is actually good for you. Unlike refined white sugar and corn syrup (stripped of virtually all nutrients except simple carbohydrates) or artificial sweeteners like saccharine or aspartame (provide no useful nutrients and have been shown to cause health problems in sensitive individuals), blackstrap molasses is a healthful sweetener that contains significant amounts of a variety of minerals that promote your health.

And, just where does blackstrap molasses come from? No secret ingredients here, molasses is a by-product from the process that turns sugar beet or cane into sugar. Be sure you use the unsulphured type!

So what can blackstrap molasses do for you? It’s jammed-packed with iron and calcium, for starters, but also offers copper, manganese, potassium, and magnesium!

If you are like me and like the slightly bitter taste of blackstrap molasses, go ahead and eat it right out of the spoon!

If you’re not really feeling downing a couple spoonfuls of this very sweet powerhouse, here are a couple recipes to increase your intake ...

• Add it to your morning cereal ... especially oatmeal!
• Add it to your smoothies
• Make it into a delicious hot drink by adding 1 - 3 tsp. to warm or hot soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, or another milk type beverage of your choice. This is one of my favorite hot drinks. Yummy!
• If you don't want to take molasses with milk, try adding it to some water. The taste reminds me of prune juice. You can also try adding it to juice.
• Use it to replace some of the sugar or other sweeteners in your favorite recipes. It tastes great in cookies and gingerbread.
• Add it to baked beans to give them a more robust flavor

Now, how much should you take? Like anything else that is good for you, moderation is the key! Keep in mind that molasses does contain a fair amount of sugar. You definitely do not want to overdo it.

If you're worried about low iron levels, here's a suggestion: Add a wide variety of iron rich foods to your diet. Don't rely on just one iron rich food item.

And if you follow this blog you know you can expect a recipe or two ... so, here you go ... a couple recipes to utilize this powerhouse food ...

If you’re not really feeling downing a couple spoonfuls of this very sweet powerhouse, here are a couple recipes to increase your intake ...

Pumpkin, Raisin, and Spice Muffins with Molasses Glaze
Ingredients:

• Nonstick spray
• 2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1½  tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger juice, best done with a garlic press
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin, or 2 cups of well roasted pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp cinnamon, ground
• ½ tsp nutmeg, ground
• ½ tsp allspice, ground
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp molasses
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1½  cups powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1½  tbsp water, plus extra if necessary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two large muffin tins with non-stick spray, this recipe will produce about nine large muffins or 18 regular sized muffins - spray as many tins as necessary.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.

In a separate large bowl, beat together the sugar and the oil, with either a hand whisk or an electric beater.

Then, add the eggs one at a time, beating after the addition of each egg until the egg is completely combined. Once all the eggs have been added, add the ginger juice, pumpkin, buttermilk, molasses and raisins to the bowl and whisk/beat thoroughly.

Next whisk in the dry, sifted ingredients, added 1/4 at a time. Be sure to whisk the flour mixture just enough to combine - the more you beat the flour, the tougher the muffins will be.

Fill the muffin tins to about a centimeter from the top with the batter.

Bake in the upper 2/3 of the oven for about 40 minutes if you're using the large tins, and about 30 minutes if you're using the regular sized tins, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle of a muffin comes out mostly clean.

Removed the finished muffins from the oven and set the tins on a rack to cool.

After about an hour the muffins will be cool enough to remove from the pan.

After removing the muffins from the pan, make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar and salt into a medium sized bowl. Add 1½  tbsp molasses and 1½  tbsp water. Whisk. If the glaze seems too thick, add a little more water, if it seems too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.

Dip the tops of the cooled muffins into the glaze, which will drizzle down the sizes. Allow the glaze to set for about an hour before serving. Enjoy!

GINGER CAKE

• 3 cups flour
• 4 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 large lightly beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 350̊F.
Whisk flour, ginger and cinnamon.
Beat butter and brown sugar.
Whisk molasses and boiling water, add baking soda.
Add flour and molasses mixtures to butter mix.
Beat in eggs until smooth and thin. Add to glass baking dish.

Bake 55-65 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes. Can be prepared as muffins - bake for 20-25 minutes.

To make this cake more heart-healthy, use Earth Balance margarine, egg whites and a mix of flours to include oat flour and/or whole wheat flour ... you’ll have to test it to see what you like best.

MOLASSES AND RAISIN MUFFINS

• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup wheat germ
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• ½  cup blackstrap molasses
• 1-1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (or egg product)
• 1 cup raisins

Combine dry ingredients (flour, wheat germ, baking powder and salt).

Stir together vegetable oil, blackstrap molasses, milk and egg.

Mix together dry ingredients with liquid ingredients; add raisins.

Bake in a preheated 350̊F oven in well greased or paper-lined muffin pans until a toothpick inserted
in center of a muffin comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes).

WHOLE - WHEAT BANANA BREAD
Combine:

• 4 tbsp. (1/4 c.) butter
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/4 c. blackstrap molasses

Add:

• 3 eggs
• 2 lg. or 3 sm bananas, mashed
• 1/3 c. water

Mix thoroughly, then add to above mixed ingredients:

• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/3 c. powdered milk
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Blend with as few strokes as possible. Put in oiled loaf pan. Bake in 325 degree oven for about 1 hour or until firm throughout.


APPLE BRAN MUFFINS

• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1½  c. wheat bran
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
• ½ c. chopped nuts
• Scant 2 c. of buttermilk
• ½ c. blackstrap molasses
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. grated orange rind
• 1 c. chopped apple
• ½ c. raisins
• Juice of 1 orange
• 2 eggs, beaten or egg replacer
• 2 tbsp. oil

Toss flour, bran, salt, soda and nutmeg together. Stir in orange rind, apples, raisins, and nuts.

Pour juice of orange into 2-cup measure and add buttermilk to make 2 cups.

Add to egg, molasses, and oil, and stir thoroughly.

Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients with a few swift strokes.

Pour into greased muffin tins, filling them 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.

Spicy Pumpkin Muffins
INGREDIENTS:

• 2½ cups white whole-wheat flour
• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder, divided
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup blackstrap molasses
• ½ cup agave nectar or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups cooked pumpkin (or 15-ounce can)

These muffins are extremely moist and packed with vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and fiber.

Preheat oven to 350̊F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine applesauce with ¾ teaspoon baking powder.

Add oil, molasses, agave nectar, vanilla, and pumpkin to applesauce mixture. Stir to combine.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.

Spoon into oiled muffin pan.

Bake 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.