Today’s spotlight is on Molasses Bars.

Molasses bars are a cross between cookies and brownies. They’re chewy, sweet, and can have a fudgy texture. Some say they’re like maple syrup brownies.

Molasses has a flavor that’s similar to gingerbread cookies. It has notes of sweet burnt caramel, a hint of smoke, and a prune-like aftertaste.

Here are some variations of molasses bars:

• Spicy Molasses Bars: This recipe includes ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
• Grandma Marion’s Molasses Bars (aka Hermit Bars): This recipe includes cinnamon and raisins.

Molasses is almost entirely made up of carbohydrates. A tablespoon of molasses contains 15 grams of carbohydrates from sugar. Molasses is a simple carbohydrate.

Molasses contains 0% protein. A 337 g serving of molasses contains 252 g of carbohydrates, 0.3 g of fat, and 0 g of protein.

Molasses is considered a sweetener. It doesn’t quickly break down into glucose, so it’s somewhat safer than other sweeteners for people with diabetes or insulin resistance. However, because molasses is high in carbohydrates, people living with diabetes should consume it in moderation.

 

History

Molasses bars have been around since the 1500s. They were originally used as a sweetener in the southern hemisphere of America. The word “molasses” comes from the Portuguese word “melaco”, which means “honey”.

The process of making molasses was developed in India as early as 500 B.C.E.

Christopher Columbus introduced molasses to the Americas when he brought sugar cane to the West.

Molasses was popular in America in the 19th century. It was used as a sweetener in foods and as an ingredient for brewing beer.

Molasses was exported to the U.S. from the West Indies to make rum.

The British levied high taxes on molasses via the Molasses Act of 1733. The taxes were reduced in 1764.

Molasses is used in cooking:

• Molasses is used in making cookies, beer, gingerbread, sauces, baked beans, and toffee.
• It’s also used to make brown sugar.
• Molasses gives baked beans their thick texture, sweetens up barbecue sauces, and makes gingerbread cookies brown, soft, and chewy.

 

Molasses cookies originated in Marblehead, Massachusetts in the late 1800s. A fisherman named Uncle Joe made molasses cookies that were called “Joe Froggers”. They were plump and dark like the frogs in the pond.

Home cooks adapted gingerbread cake recipes to make small, flat molasses cookies for special occasions. They were originally spiced only with ginger, but recipes have evolved to include a blend of ginger and other spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.

Molasses cookies were once a staple in many American kitchens. During WWII, when sugar was rationed, molasses often served as a substitute sweetener. Molasses was less processed and less expensive than sugar.

 

Here are some fun facts about molasses bars:

• Molasses bars have been around since the 1500s.
• Molasses is a thick, dark brown syrup made from boiling down sugar cane or sugar beet juice.
• Molasses contains some minerals and vitamins and several antioxidants.
• Molasses is also known as black treacle in Britain.
• Molasses is produced during the refining process for use in baking.
• Molasses is the ingredient in brown sugar that gives it its distinct color, flavor, and moisture.
• Molasses contains more vitamins and minerals than other sugars.

 

Here is a recipe for Molasses Bars for you to try:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of margarine or butter
• 2 small eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of raisins
• 1/2 cup of molasses
• 3 1/4 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons rounded baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash of allspice

 

Instructions

1. Kick the tires and light the fires to 375 °F.
2. Cream the sugars and the margarine together. Add in your two eggs and beat in completely.
3. Add in the molasses to the margarine/sugar mix and mix in thoroughly.
4. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
5. Combine the wet and dry and mix well. Then, add in your raisins.
6. Divide the dough into two pieces, and from each half form three long rolls on a cookie sheet.
7. Build them up as high as you can and they fit across a baking sheet, widthwise. When you build them up, you get a thicker, chewier bar.
8. Bake them in the oven at 375 for 13-15 minutes, and do not over/under bake. This was from my grandma’s instructions. So, they need to be baked until the edges are cooked, and the middle slightly still underdone.
9. Slice them across into about 8-10 squares when they are fully cooled,
10. The recipe will make up to 40-60 of the little bars.
11. Enjoy

 

Consumption

Here are some nutrition facts for molasses bars:

Chewy molasses bars:

• 180 calories
• 9 g of fat
• 224 mg of sodium
• 7 g of carbohydrates
• 5 g of sugar

Molasses bar, 55 grams:

• 239 calories
• 32 g of carbohydrates
• 10 g of fat

Molasses contains vitamins and minerals, including:

• 6 milligrams of copper
• 9 milligrams of iron
• 240 milligrams of calcium
• 696 milligrams of potassium

 

Celebrating Molasses Bars

February the 8^th has been set aside to celebrate molasses bars. But you can certainly enjoy them any day of the year. Let us know in the comments how much you like these time tasted treats.