I'm trying to increase the iron in my diet, as I tend to be slightly anemic, and blackstrap molasses is an excellent natural source of iron. I thought there could be no better way to eat molasses than in cookies!
I gave Corban (7) the assignment this morning to make these by himself. He was slightly shocked and quite excited by the prospect, as he has never made something independently before. I did supervise the measuring of a few things and taking the cookies out of the oven, but he did most of everything alone. He was so proud!
These are slightly spicy, very soft, darkly sweet (if that makes any sense), and just a delight to eat. My kids love them, I love them, and I think I'll just have to keep some around on a regular basis.
Note: You don't have to use blackstrap molasses - regular would result in a lighter, sweeter cookie. Blackstrap molasses is very strong and dark and can be a little bitter - it may be an acquired taste. I just used it because it is much higher in nutrients (due to less refining, from what I understand) than regular molasses. And I rather like the taste.
Recipe: (adapted from Allrecipes)
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 egg
3/4 c. molasses (I used blackstrap)
3 cups flour (I used 1 c. all purpose, 2 c. white whole wheat)
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/4-1/2 c. granulated sugar (for rolling, optional)
Cream butter, sucanat, and egg together until well blended. Add molasses and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Gradually add to molasses mixture until completely incorporated.
Cover and chill dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or use your medium cookie scoop!), roll in sugar if desired, and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. I found 8 minutes to be perfect in my oven.
Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.
Somebody obviously enjoyed licking the beater.
First -- those look amazing!
ReplyDeleteSecond -- what is the difference between black strap molasses and regular?
And, how do you like baking with sucanat?
i have never had good luck with using blackstrap molasses in place of molasses. it always tastes gross to me... did it not taste all mediciney?
ReplyDeletei might have to make a small batch of these cookies, since i am craving cookies and am anemic too.
Great...now you have me off looking to see if I molasses in my cabinet so I can make these!!!
ReplyDeleteSnoWhite,
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Here's a little info I found on blackstrap molasses vs. regular:
"Blackstrap molasses is like tar, in comparison to regular molasses because blackstrap molasses is the final result of sugar refining, which makes it extremely strong. The sugarcane used in Blackstrap is rather matured, whereas; it's young or mid aged when used in regular molasses. Regular molasses is part of the sugar refining process, hence why it isn't as strong. It is also thicker in content and richer in flavor, as opposed to regular molasses. It is very sweet, but also bitter in flavor."
It basically is very dark and strong flavored....but much higher in nutrients (iron, calcium, potassium, and others) than regular molasses, which is why I bought it.
Sucanat....I really like it! I haven't tried it in too many recipes yet, but it's great in pancakes, some baked breads, and I'm trying to branch out and use it more often. I know it's healthier than white sugar!
Lana,
ReplyDeleteI think that since blackstrap molasses is a lot stronger than regular, it doesn't often make a good substitute unless you really like it to begin with. I gave the kids a lick of it by itself and they thought it was so gross! Personally, I don't mind it. But the kids certainly like the cookies.....so I guess the sucanat/sugar balanced it out. I think adding a little extra sugar wouldn't hurt, that's for sure.
I also tried mixing the molasses into a bowl of oatmeal (before cooking) with a few raisins and walnuts and I really like it! However, since I usually make my oatmeal with milk and I just read that calcium inhibits the absorption of the iron, I don't know if it's a great idea.