Ingredients For Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

Pumpkin Puree

You can use canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin for this recipe. I like to cook a pumpkin or two at the beginning of the fall season and freeze my pumpkin puree for all my pumpkin recipes throughout the festive months. If you are using a whole pumpkin check out my post on how to make pumpkin puree.

Plain or Vanilla Yogurt

I use Greek Plain Yogurt, I use yogurt in replacement for oils or butter in most of my muffins and bread. It has more vitamins and protein then oils and butter and less fat.

Eggs

Eggs are the binding agent in this recipe also adding 6.5 grams of protein per eggs. Whole Eggs also contain vitamin B12, selenium (anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and stimulates the immune system) and iron.

Blackstrap Molasses

Full of flavor, nutrients and keeps my breads moist and delicious! Oh how I love molasses! It is so rich in so many vitamins and minerals and such a fun ingredient to add to my recipes. Molasses contains, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, copper and more. healthy for your heart and nervous system. Read more on the Benefits of Molasses here!

Flour

I use a combination of organic whole wheat and organic all purpose flour. Whole wheat is full of a wider range of vitamins and minerals such as, manganese, calcium and selenium, then all purpose or even enriched flours. It also has more flavor but is also a bit more dense. So I do half and half whole wheat and all purpose.

Sugar

You can substitute sugar with honey or maple syrup. Both of those would also add a lovely flavor to this recipe but I typically bake with sugar and save my honey and syrup for smoothies, pancakes, teas, oatmeal and such.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is the chosen spice in order to add another layer of flavor to this recipe. Nutmeg, cloves or allspice would also be great additions but this recipe already seem complex with so many textures that I left those out for now.

Salt

Salt is going to help bring out all the flavor in this recipe. You can use table salt or pink Himalayan salt or another sea salt will also works great.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder

Both of these are a rising agent. The original recipe just had baking soda but as I adapted and added all these heavy grains I found the baking powder was also needed.

Vanilla

I like to use vanilla powder rather than extract. You can find the vanilla powder on amazon. This powder is a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract so you don’t have to do any extra math when substituting. I like the flavor a lot and its been a great addition to my pantry.

How To Make Pumpkin Gingerbread

Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, yogurt, eggs, and molasses.

Add Dry Ingredients

Next add your sugar, flour, spices and baking soda. Mix together with a whisk, spoon or spatula.

Prepare Your Loaf Pan

Butter or oil, your loaf pan and sprinkle a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on in the pan to give the crust a sweet crunchy texture. Pour the gingerbread batter into the prepared pan.

Bake

Bake at 300 degree for 60 minutes. Due to the molasses the bread will be dark and a little hard to tell when its done. Insert a toothpick to see if your loaf is done. If it comes out clean it is done, if it comes out with batter or crumbs stuck to it, it needs to bake longer.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf

Yield: 1 Loaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract/powder

Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix together wet ingredients. pumpkin, eggs, molasses, yogurt,
2. Next add the sugar and then the rest of the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla,
3. Prepare your loaf pan by spreading butter or oil and sprinkling 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake at 300 for 60 minutes.

The post Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients For Gingerbread Pie Crust

Flour

Use All-Purpose flour for this gingerbread pie crust recipe. I do not suggest using any whole wheat for this crust recipe. You could substitute with an All-Purpose, 1:1 ratio of gluten free flour or almond flour.

Cold Butter

Cold butter is extremely important. The colder the butter the better. I freeze my butter for pie crusts. Keeping the butter cold keeps the water that’s in the butter from absorbing into the flour too soon. We want the steam from the water in the butter to make lots of air pockets in order to create glorious flakes in our crust. If you let the butter get warm the flour will absorb the water and you will get a dense crust.

Blackstrap Molasses

Molasses creates the texture and classic flavor of gingerbread, along with the ginger of course.

There are a couple different types of molasses. Blackstrap molasses is very strong so we don’t need a lot of it. If you add to much your crust will become bitter. For light molasses or regular molasses you might want to add a little bit more then this recipe calls for. I only ever use blackstrap so I’m not sure how much more you would want but probably not to much more. If anyone tries regular molasses let me know in the comments how much you use and if it turned out.

Blackstrap molasses can be difficult to find in stores but you can buy it from Azure Standard or Amazon online.

To Read more about why I always cook with blackstrap molasses read “The Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses“

Cinnamon, All-Spice, Ginger and Salt

To make this crust really taste like gingerbread we can’t forget our spices! Cinnamon, All-Spice and Ginger are the classic gingerbread flavors. You could also add Nutmeg or substitute All-Spice with Cloves at a 2:1 Ratio (1/2 the amount of cloves).

Sugar

Because our molasses is a strong and can be a little bitter I add a little extra sugar compared to my perfect classic pie crust recipe. The we don’t want the crust to be too sweet but just sweet enough to complement out pie filling.

I use organic cane sugar from Azure Standard for just about everything and it works just as well as regular granulated sugar. You could also substitute for Monk Fruit Sweetener at a 1:1 ratio.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The acids in apple cider vinegar slow down the gluten production and keep the dough from becoming elastic like. If your dough is worked too much the gluten molecules will activate and your dough will become tough. Apple cider vinegar will slow this down to insure a tender, flaky pie crust. Don’t worry, your crust will not taste like vinegar. Remember to use COLD apple cider vinegar, if your liquid is cold your butter will also stay cold.

An Ice Cube (optional)

You can either place your ACV in the freezer for 20 minutes or so in order to get it cold or you can place an ice cube in it. I usually use an ice cube but its up to you. You will not be putting the ice cube in the dough. Its just to make your apple cider vinegar cold.

5 Tips You Don’t Want to Skip

(Especially number 4)

Tip # 1: Cold butter.

The colder the butter the better. I freeze my butter for pie crusts. Often I cut the butter in cubes and then freeze before adding to my flour. Keeping the butter cold keeps the water that’s in the butter from absorbing into the flour too soon. We want the steam from the water in the butter to make lots of air pockets in order to create glorious flakes in our crust. If you let the butter get warm the flour will absorb the water and you will get a dense crust

Tip # 2: Cold Apple Cider Vinegar

The acids in apple cider vinegar slow down the gluten production and keep the dough from becoming elastic like. If your dough is worked too much the gluten molecules will activate and your dough will become tough. Apple cider vinegar will slow this down to insure a tender, flaky pie crust. Don’t worry, your crust will not taste like vinegar. Remember to use COLD apple cider vinegar, if your liquid is cold your butter will also stay cold.

Tip # 3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

By now I hope you realize we want things to stay cold. After you mix all the ingredients making your dough but before you roll it out make sure you refrigerate for at least one hour. This will help solidify the butter again after it is worked into the flour. Don’t let your dough sit on the counter for too long, always put it back in the refrigerator.  Once I’ve rolled out my pie crust and placed it in the pie pan I always put them back in the refrigerator until I’m ready to put the filling in. If the filling is in the crust and the oven is not preheated yet, I put it all back in the refrigerator. Keep it cold.

Tip # 4: Do Not Overwork.

I believe this is the number one reason people have tough, dense pie crusts. When you overwork your dough the butter melts and the gluten actives. So if you remember anything from this post, remember this. Do No Overwork The Dough! This often happens when we try to make the fancy, pretty crust we see on Pinterest. But don’t worry, you can still make the pretty crust, I have a tip for that as well.

Tip # 5. Freeze Your Decorative Pie Crust

When making a fun decorative top for your pie we often work it too much, melting the butter and activating the gluten molecules resulting in a tough, dense pie crust. Follow these steps. Mix your dough according to the recipe, refrigerate the dough for 1 hour, roll out the dough on wax or parchment paper for easy transporting. Freeze for 10 minutes. Cut out your pretty shapes and place them back in the freezer till you are ready to assemble them on your pie.

If you have scraps from the cut outs that you want to use place them in the freezer as well for 10 minutes before working them again. Don’t combined them into a ball to roll out again but instead try to layer them on top of each other then roll out. Again, don’t overwork. The shapes you make with the scraps wont turn out as well as the first set. They have been worked more, so that is just how it is.

How To Make Gingerbread Pie Crust

Step One: Freeze or Refrigerate Ingredients.

First combine the apple cider and the ice cube in a small bowl. You want to use cold ingredients to make your pie crust. If you don’t have an ice cube you can simply place the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes till it is cold.

Step Two: Combine Dry Ingredients

Add flour, sugar, cinnamon, all-spice, ginger and salt to your food processor. Pulse to mix together.

Step Three: Add Cold Butter

Cut your cold or frozen butter in cubes and add to food processor. It can be hard to cut frozen butter so sometimes I cut the butter then place in the freezer for 10-20 minutes before adding to the flour mixture. I want the butter to be as cold as possible before this step because this is when it is most worked. Pulse a few time until it it starts to combine with the flour mixture.

Step 4: Add Molasses and ACV

Add molasses and the apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing pulsing
the food processor till you dough starts to look like little beads. Don’t overwork.

Step Five: Refrigerate Dough

Place the crumbly dough on floured surface and bring together into a disc. Again, don’t overwork. do not knead the dough. Just simply combine together and form into a disc.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap or a zip-lock bag and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I have also used a Pyrex glass container to store my dough but the zip-lock bag is my favorite to use. I often make my dough the day before I plan on making my pies. You can leave your dough in the refrigerator for up to a week and it will stay good. You can also place it in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Step Six: Make A Pie!

Unlike a classic pie crust we are not going to roll out the dough all the way. The molasses makes the dough a little sticky and easily fall apart when lifted up. So, roll the dough out. If the dough seems to be tear then go ahead and mold it up onto the sides with your hands. Try not to overwork.

Follow your pie filling recipe for baking instructions.

Side Story: So my daughter got upset when playing outside with her big brother and immediately, without any prompting, as shes is still crying, started helping me finish making my pumpkin pie. She was soon happy again. This just goes to show baking truly does make everything better!

Gingerbread Pie Crust

Yield: 2 Pie Crust

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 Cups Flour
• 4 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon All-Spice
• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Ice Cube (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine apple cider vinegar and ice cube in a small bowl to get cold.
2. Add flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, all-spice and salt to your food processor. Pulse to mix together.
3. Cut you cold or frozen butter in cubes and add to food processor. Pulse a
   few time till it it starts to combine with the flour mixture.
4. Add apple cider vinegar and molasses mixture 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing pulsing the food processor till you dough starts to look like little beads.
5. Place dough on floured surface and bring together and divide into two discs.
6. Wrap discs in plastic wrap or a zip-lock bag and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
7. Unlike Classic Pie Crust you will roll out dough just a little then use your hands to mold into pie pan. Follow your pie recipes for baking instructions

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Golden Barrel Unsulfured Black Strap molasses, 32 oz

Monk Fruit In The Raw Sweetener Baker’s Bag, 16 oz., Keto Certified Monk Fruit Sweetener, Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs, Non-GMO Project Verified

Hamilton Beach Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper for Slicing, Shredding, Mincing, and Puree, 8 Cup, Black

The post How to Make Gingerbread Pie Crust appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Ingredients for Granola

Oat

Old fashioned rolled out is the best choice for granola. The texture of granola is a huge part of what makes granola great. Oats play a huge part the texture but not all types of oats are equal in delivering this texture. Old fashioned rolled oats is best.

Almonds

Almonds add an extra crunch and flavor and is my favorite nut to add to granola. Walnuts and pecans are also fit this recipe and make delicious granola. If you don’t like these options you can choose your favorite nut. We add nuts in order to add more layer of texture. The oats give our base layer and we want the nuts to add crunch without braking out teeth. In order to not brake our teeth chop the nuts or add them to your food processor or blender before adding them to the granola.

Brown Sugar

Sugar is our sweetener but also plays a part in the texture of our granola. You can use just honey as your sweetener or substitute with maple syrup. I like using brown sugar because I do believe it helps bring out the texture I want. To much honey and maple syrup makes the granola too wet and it doesn’t always cook the same.

Honey

Honey helps sweeten our granola with a bit of added flavor. Maple syrup is also a great substitute for honey if you prefer. You could also substitute sugar instead of using honey. Honey is also a healthier choice over sugar so I do sweeten with both to create the right texture without to much comprise.

Blackstrap Molasses

Molasses adds a great depth of flavor to anything that you add it to. It also has great nutritional value being full of rich vitamins and minerals. Our American diet lacks good vitamins and minerals and then use synthetic supplements. There no need for supplements if you purposely add ingredients that are rich in vitamins and minerals in your diet.

To learn more about the benefit of blackstrap molasses read this.

Find more recipes with molasses here…

Oil

I use Coconut Oil but other oils would work as well but becareful of which one use choice. the different oils wont change the texture but each oil has a little different flavor and it comes out differently in what you cook it with. Coconut oil in my experience taste best when making granola.

Wheat Bran

Wheat bran is another ingredient that I choose to put in for its nutritional benefits. Bran is one of the 3 parts in a wheat kernel and is stripped away during the process of making our refined flour. It is full of great healthy benefits including its great source of Potassium, Manganese, and Fiber to name a few.

Wheat bran in our granola offers a little bit of softer chew for a variety of texture. It also contains gluten. Most granola recipes are gluten free, you can leave the wheat bran out or use Oat Bran for a gluten free option.

Where to find wheat bran? Not all grocery stores carry wheat bran but Bobs Red Mill Wheat Bran will probably be the easiest to find in the baking section. Or you can order online from Amazon Bobs Red Mill Wheat Bran or Azure Standard Wheat Bran.

Flax Seeds

Another great ingredient full of nutritional value. Flax seed is full of omega-3 fatty acids that are super important for our brain and nerve function. They are also a great source of thiamine, copper, protein, fiber and lots more. I buy my flax seed whole and grind it just before adding it to my recipes.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon adds some delicious flavor along with some great antioxidants. Herbs and spices have so many great healing abilities. I’m very intentional to add lots of flavor through natural herbs and spices like cinnamon into my recipes.

Salt

Salt brings out the flavor of everything you put it on. Its a great resource in the kitchen for making any flavor or recipe stand out. When it comes to baking, table salt works just fine but if sea salt has the needed health benefits.

Egg White

The egg white at first seems like a strange ingredients and not its not for the added protein and health benefits… The egg white is a binding agent along with the sugar and helps create the chewy, crunchy chunks.

How To Make Granola

Melt Oil, Sugar, Honey and Molasses Together

In a small sauce pan melt coconut oil, sugar and molasses together. We want the sugar to melt completely but not to come to a simmer or boil. We don’t want to create candy and brake our teeth on our granola. Take off heat as soon as its melted.

Blend or Chop Dry Ingredients

In a food processor to Vitamix, chop almonds, flax seed, wheat bran and 1 cup oats. Pulse a few time till a the almost are crumbly but not blended smooth, we want texture.

Mix Dry Ingredients

Pour you chopped ingredients in a bowl and add the rest of the oats

Combine Wet and Dry ingredients

Pour the sugar mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

Froth Egg White

In a separate bowl take one egg white and whisk with a fork or small whisk until frothy. Add to granola mixture.

Bake Granola

Spread the mixture on a baking sheet evenly. Its okay if its thick but I wouldn’t have it any thicker than half an inch. Bake at 275 for 30 minutes. Do not mix or crumble while its baking. just leave it alone and let bake.

Let Cool and Crumble

Let cool completely before braking apart. Once cool down you can brake the granola with your hands or a fork if you prefer. At this point you can also add dried fruit to your granola if you want. We like to add raisins, golden raisins my family’s favorite. Add, dried blueberries, craisins, dried apricots or whatever you fancy.

Store

Pantry: Store in an air tight container or zip-lock bag for up to 3-6 month in a cool dry environment.

Freezer: You can also store your granola in the freezer for long term storage, 6-12 month. When freezing granola make sure you use an freezer zip-lock or an air tight container. When freezing be sure to give room for expansion

Storing in the refrigerator may cause the granola to get soggy, I don’t recommend.

Granola

Yield: 2 Quarts

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Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 2 Cups Oats
• 1 Cup Almonds
• 1 Cup Wheat (or Oat) Bran
• 1/2 Cup Flax Seed (whole)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Melt the Coconut Oil, Brown Sugar, Honey and Molasses in a small sauce pan. Don't simmer or boil, just melt and then take off heat.
3. In food processor or vitamix chop the Almonds, Flax Seed, Bran and 1 cup Oats. Chop till chunky but not smooth, we want texture, just not too big.
4. In a large bowl mix our chopped mixture with the rest of the oats (1 cup), Cinnamon, and Salt.
5. Add the sugar and oil mixture and stair until combined.
6. In a small bowl take 1 egg white and whisk with a fork or small whisk until frothy. Add to the granola.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Spread the mixture on baking sheet evenly.
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees. Do not stir, just leave alone.
9. Let cool completely before braking apart. Once cooled brake in to bite size pieces with your hands. At this point you can add any raisins or any other dried fruit. Store in a air tight contain in your pantry for up to 6 months.

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Most of these ingrdients will easily be found in your local grocery store. Flax, Wheat Bran and Blackstrap Molasses are the few that might prove to be difficult. Here are some options.

Learn more about Azure Standard by reading my Azure Standard Review and Costco Price Comparison.

Flax Seed

Amazon: Anthony’s Organic Brown Whole Flaxseed, Batch Tested and Gluten Free, Raw, Non GMO, Sproutable, Keto Friendly 2lbs $14.99
Azure Standard: Organic Flax Seed, 5lbs $8.66

Wheat Bran

Amazon: Bobs Red Mill Wheat Bran 8oz $7.77
Azure Standard: Organic Wheat Bran 16oz $2.40

Blackstrap Molasses

Amazon: Golden Barrel Unsulfured Black Strap molasses, 32 oz $11.49
Azure Standard: Blackstrap Molasses, Organic $7.29

Vitamix

Amazon: Vitamix, Pearl Grey, Series 750 Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container $699.99 ON SALE $399.99

Food Processor

Amazon: BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 Easy Assembly 8-Cup Food Processor, Black $38.99

The post Granola Recipe Easy, Healthy And Crunchy appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Heads up! My post do contain affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients for Baked Beans

Navy Bean

1 1/2 cups dry 4 1/2 cups cooked 3 cans

I use navy beans, but other beans work as well. I’ve also used pinto beans in the past, I’ve seen other use red beans but I believe navy beans are the most common for baked beans. You can get canned beans or use dry beans. Dry beans are so cheap and I buy them in bulk. They last forever in my food grade 5 gallon buckets so I also have them on hand.

When cooking dry beans remember they 1 cup dry beans becomes 3 cups cooked. You should soak your beans before cooking them for 8 hour but I don’t always soak them that long and they cook just fine. The soaking is more for the nutrition benefits of the bean rather than the cooking process. Soaking the beans will make them easier to digest as well.

Onion and Garlic

Onion and garlic are pungent and full of flavor. Both have great nutritional value and have been known to super foods when it comes to cleansing the blood. They have even been known to help decrease cancer risk. Eating them often is just another way of adding great nutrition to your everyday diet.

Ketchup

Ketchup is so easy to just pull out of the fridge and add to your baked beans but you can also substitute ketchup by simple adding 1/4 cup tomato sauce (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste) and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. I never like opening a can of tomato sauce for just a quarter cup but sometime I have frozen tomato paste in the freezer that I’ll use.

Mustard

You can use any type of mustard for this recipe. I think this time I only had yellow mustard and it worked just fine. Dijon mustard would also be really good or you can use a mustard powder (Azure Standard or Amazon). If you do use the powder use about half of what the recipe calls for. 1 tablespoon mustard = 1/2 tablespoon mustard powder.

Molasses

For a bold depth of flavor I use blackstrap molasses. There are so many good benefits from blackstrap molasses I try to include a little in a lot of my recipes. You can use regular light molasses for this recipe but I recommend blackstrap molasses for its density in nutrients and its bold flavor.

Learn more about blackstrap molasses here or find it on amazon here.

Here are more recipes with blackstrap molasses

Brown Sugar

To sweeten our baked beans we need brown sugar. Light or dark, either one will work for this recipe. If you don’t have any brown sugar but you do have molasses you can make your own just by mixing regular while sugar and molasses together. I use a homemade dark brown sugar that make with blackstrap molasses.

Salt and Pepper

I like to add salt and pepper at the end as I taste test it. I don’t know how much I usually add so I encourage you to taste everything and adjust to your own liking.

Rosemary (optional)

I had never added rosemary to my baked bean until this time and I really liked it. The rosemary added another layer of sweet earthy flavor that elevated this recipe to a new level for me. I will be adding it regularly now.

How to Make Baked Beans

1. Soak and Cook Dry Beans

First step is to soak your dry beans for 8 hours or over night. Sometimes, if I’m low on time I will do a quick hot soak by heating the water before add in the beans and then soaking. The hot soaking method works but the longer the soak the better it is for the beans. When soaking the beans release oligosaccharides and antinutrients into the water making the beans easier to digest and easier for your body to take in the rich fibers, vitamins and minerals that beans contain.

When soaked cook your beans for 1-2 hours until soft.

2. Saute Onions and Garlic

When making baked beans first dice and saute the onion and garlic till fully cooked and soft. If you don’t saute them they will not cook as well or soften fully when mixed with the other ingredients.

3. Mix All Other Ingredients

Add the cooked beans, molasses, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer in your cast iron skillet for 30 minutes.

If you don’t have cast iron this can be done another type of pan but the cast iron holds on to higher heats longer and more evenly, giving it more of the baked texture. Also I usually just use the cast iron skillet on the stove top but you can put the skillet in the oven at 350 for a true baked beans.

Vegan Baked Beans

Yield: 4 Cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dry navy beans (or 3, 15 oz cans cooked beans)
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup katchep
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1/2 brown sugar
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions

How to Cook Dry Beans

1. Soak 1 1/2 cups dried bean in 5 cups of water for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Rinse beans and put them in a pot covered with 1 inch of water and a little salt and bring to a boil.
3. Once at a boil cover and bring to low simmer for 1-2 hours until beans are soft.

Baked Beans

1. Dice the onion and 3 garlic cloves and saute in cast iron skillet
2. Add cooked beans, ketchup, mustard, molasses, brown sugar, and rosemary to skillet and stir till combined.
3. Bring to a boil and let simmer at low for 30 minutes covered.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

• 1 1/2 dried beans adds to about 4 cups cooked bean approximately 3, 15 oz cans

• For a little more heat to your recipe try adding 1/2 -1 teaspoon of smoked paprika or chili powder or cayenne.

The post How to Make Vegan Baked Beans in Cast Iron appeared first on Embracing The Home.

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The Best Pizza Dough Recipe Here

Pizza Sauce Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

This is our base. Marinara sauce is a tomato sauce. You can roast or cook fresh tomatoes and blend to make your sauce or you can use an already canned tomato sauce. Today I used canned tomato sauce from Walmart.

Onion

Onions provide so much depth of flavor. They are sweet and savory at the same time and although very pungent when raw once cooked they provide a mild base line of flavor to our sauce.

Garlic

I use fresh garlic although garlic powder would work too. The garlic adds another depth of flavor with with bold, spicy aroma. When sauteed with the onion it too becomes less pungent and offers a sort of nutty flavor to our sauce.

Basil

Basil provides a sweet contrast to our acidic tomatoes and pungent onion and garlic. These 4 flavors go so well together the are the base for many different Italian recipes. You can use fresh or dried basil. If you use fresh make sure you mince it well and add double the amount. This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh basil.

Cayenne Pepper

I love adding a little spice to my tomato sauces. Pepperoni pizza with pepper flakes along with a little cayenne pepper in the sauce is just so good! Depending on how much spice you like you can experiment with the amount of pepper you use. I like just a little spice, and I have kids so I try to stick to the mild side and work my way up. You can also use chili powder or paprika as a substitute.

Molasses (Optional)

I love molasses. A little molasses adds so much flavor and nutrition to our sauce. I tend to make a lot of vegetarian pizzas for my family and this added flavor in the sauce makes it seem like I’m not miss our on anything by not having any meat.

Learn more about the Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses in this article and find enjoy more recipes with blackstrap molasses in them.

How to Make Pizza Sauce

1. Saute Onions and Garlic

Mince the onions and garlic nice and small and saute together. Add a little oil or even just water to the pan to help from sticky. Oil will add and enhance the flavors from the onions and garlic but water works just as well.

2. Add Tomato Sauce, Basil and Cayenne

Pour in the tomato sauce and turn heat to a medium. Add basil and cayenne and stir in. If you like the idea of adding molasses add at this time as well. Let simmer for 10-30 minutes on low. Taste and add salt, pepper or more basil if desired.

3. Store Your Sauce

Let the sauce cool down and then you can use right away or store for later. I usually make enough for about 4 pizza’s but typically only make 2 for our family’s dinner. I either store the sauce in a jar in the refrigerator for about 1 week or you can store in the freezer for up to a year.

The Best Pizza Dough Recipe Here

Pizza Sauce

Yield: 4 pizzas

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1, 29oz can of tomato sauce (or 2, 15oz cans)
• 1/2 Onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tablespoon dried basil or 2 tablespoon fresh
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Blackstrap Molasses (optional)

Instructions

1. In a sauce pan, saute onion with garlic with a little bit of oil.
2. Add tomatoes, basil, cayenne and molasses (optional)
3. Let simmer for 10-30 minutes. Enough time to blend the flavors together.
4. Let cool and use right away or store in refrigerator or freezer for another day.

Pizza Or Calzone?

This pizza sauce recipe is also perfect for calzones! Although if you are looking for something a little different with your calzones check out these two recipes.

Spinach & Artichoke Calzone Mushroom & Onion Calzone

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Ingredients for Vegan Pasta Sauce

Tomato Sauce

The base for our sauce is tomatoes. Tomato sauce is a classic, traditional base for pasta sauces. In the late summer I like to can the majority of my tomato sauces and dice tomatoes needs. I am out of my own cans so today I used canned tomato sauce from Walmart. Any tomato sauce will work. Sometimes if I want tomato chunks in my sauce I will add a small can of petite diced tomatoes.

Veggies

Mushrooms, onions, zucchini, spinach and bell peppers all might it in to this recipe. If you don’t like a specific vegetable don’t add it. If you like another vegetable, add it! There’s not always a right or wrong when adding veggies to recipes. With pasta sauce be creative. Artichokes, kale, Pepperoncini would all be great additions…

Herbs & Garlic

Italian herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary can all add deep flavor to our sauce. This is an area that I again encourage creativity. Find the flavor you like best from these Italian herbs and make it the star of your sauce. The other herbs can support you choose lead flavor. Lately I have really enjoyed sage, and I have a lot of it in my garden. So sage and rosemary became my boldest flavors in this recipe. I added an Italian seasoning mix for my supporting flavors.

Garlic is also used for a nice strong flavor. I used fresh garlic but that can also be substituted for garlic powder.

Molasses

Blackstrap molasses is the only molasses I use. It is so rich in nutrients and flavor. From iron to vitamin b, calcium, and copper, magnesium and manganese. So many vital minerals and vitamin are found in molasses that I try to add it to as many recipes as I can. Some recipes its not so good in but it seems to be made for pasta sauce. I can’t even explain how delicious it makes my sauces. When cooking vegan some tend to think you loose a lot of flavor from excluding the meat. I see it as an opportunity to add flavor from different sources making my meal healthier and tasty.

To read more about molasses check out “benefits of blackstrap molasses“.

More Recipes With Blackstrap Molasses:

• Banana Nut Molasses Bread
• Homemade Vegan Chili with Molasses
• Green Spinach & Molasses Smoothie
• Oatmeal Raisin Molasses Cookies

How To Make Vegan Pasta Sauce

Saute Veggies

First step in making sauce is to saute our veggies. With a little oil in your pan first saute the onions. The onions are the most important to get soften before added the liquids (tomato sauce). The onions take the longest to soften so I always add them in first. Next is up to you. I dice my veggies nice and small and sometimes I even grate them for nice fine texture. If you don’t want any chunks in your sauce you can puree the whole sauce once its cooked if you like.

Add Garlic and Herbs

Don’t forget to add the garlic and saute with your vegetables. If you are using garlic powder then just add them in with your herbs. If you are using fresh herbs take the leaves off the stem and mince them nice and small.

Add Tomato Sauce and Molasses

Now you add the base, the tomato sauce and molasses. Mix until combined heat up and taste (without burning your self). Add any need salt or pepper, extra herbs… if you like a little kick to your sauce add some red peppers or paprika.

Let Simmer

Let Simmer for about 10-30 minutes. No need to get it to a full boil but just a light simmer for awhile. Its during the simmering that I usually get my pasta cooked, salad make and table set.

Vegan Pasta Sauce with Molasses

Yield: 1 lbs pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1 zucchini
• 2 15oz cans tomato sauce
• 2-3 tablespoon molasses
• 2 small cloves garlic or 1 large
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Saute all vegetables, starting with the onion.
2. Add herbs and garlic
3. Add tomato sauce and molasses
4. Let simmer for 10-30 minutes
5. Taste test and be creative adding more of your favorite herbs and flavors if needed.
6. Cook pasta according to instructions and serve together.

Shop This Recipe!

• Blackstrap molasses (amazon)
• Blackstrap molasses (azure standard)

You can shop local grocery stores and farmers markets for the rest of your ingredients.

The post The Best Vegan Pasta Sauce with Molasses appeared first on Embracing The Home.

There are two key features that I want to note that make a vegan chili good. Flavor and Texture. Without meat both of these features can lack without paying special attention to your recipe.

Good Flavor is Number 1

Without the flavor that comes from meat we rely heavy on the seasoning for good flavor. To insure depth of flavor I make sure I have plenty of chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt & pepper as well as jalapeno, garlic, thyme, oregano and molasses.

For spice I have chili powder, paprika cumin, black pepper, and jalapeno. Each of these add little different level of spice and heat. The jalapeno being the hottest and the cumin more earthy and sweet. Each spice added a different type of spice and flavor.

Garlic, thyme, and oregano don’t add a whole lot of spice but they do add another layer of more earthy and warm, savory flavor. Adding herbs like this add much needed flavor to a vegan dish.

Molasses is such a powerful tool when it comes to flavor in the kitchen and also has great nutrition value. Molasses is described in so many different ways, sweet, bitter, savory, spicy, smoky, earthy, caramely, robust. How ever you want to describe this rich syrup is fine with me. Just know this, it adds so much depth to your chili and if you skip this 1 ingredient you will be missing out for sure.
To read more about molasses check out “Benefits of Blackstrap Molassess”.

Good Chili Needs the Right Texture

Dice your vegetables very small. The smaller the better in my opinion. I want the texture to be thick and hearty. I don’t want each bite featuring a 1 single vegetable like I would do in a vegetable broth soup.

Once all your ingredients are cooked and mixed together I also use my potato masher and mash up the chili a little to get a thicker more consistent texture. You can also use an immersion blender or take out a two cups and blend in the blender to create a thicker consistency. Just remember we are not trying to make a creamy soup. We just want to break up a few of the beans to release their natural starches to thicken up the excess liquids as your chili simmers. I find the potato masher works perfect for this job.

I simmer my chili for 30 minutes with the lid on but if your chili has a lot of excess liquids and its not thickening up the way you would like it. Simmer for another 10 minutes with the lid off.

Vegan Chili Ingredients

Beans

You can really use any beans you like, in the pictures you will notice I only used pinto bean but that’s actually quite rare for me. My 3 favorite bean to mix together for the recipe are pinto beans, black bean and kidney beans. I add 5 cups of bean or 3, 15 oz cans. One can of each bean works great.

I use dry beans most of the time. To convert dry beans measurement to cooked bean measurements remember 1/2 cup dry beans equals about 1 1/2 cups cooked beans equaling about 1, 15 oz can of beans. So to make this recipe with dry beans you will need 1 1/2 cups dry bean. 1/2 cup of each bean works great but you can choose any ratio you like.

Vegetables

Onions, mushrooms, bell pepper and a jalapeno are my 4 must haves for this recipe. I also often add carrots and zucchini or squash depending on what I have around. You can also add vegetables like corn or okra or sweet potato. Be creative with the vegetable you like. If carrots are two sweet for you taste when it comes to chili then leave them out or only add one carrot instead of three. You can also add more peppers like banana peppers or poblano peppers would be really good. Add the vegetables that you enjoy.

Petite Diced Tomatoes

Petite diced are my favorite tomatoes for chili. The normal diced is just to chunky for me, again I like everything to be diced small. The crushed tomato also work well. If all you have is normal diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes you can strain the juice into your pot and cut the tomatoes smaller or pulse in the blender a few times but don’t blend them into a sauce. You can also use fresh tomatoes if you have them. You will need 3 cups diced fresh tomatoes.

Spices and Herbs

This recipe calls for chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper, oregano, thyme, and fresh garlic (or garlic powder). Using both spices and herbs creates more layers and depth of flavor. If you don’t have all these individual spices and you like to buy blends then you could to something like 2 tables taco seasoning and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning if that’s what you have. I’ve personally never tried that exact combination but I do tend to experiment with my seasoning a lot. If you are missing a spice or herb try to replace it with something similar so you don’t lose out on a layer of flavor.

Molasses

Molasses is so full of flavor you don’t need a lot to add nice rich layer to your chili. I use blackstrap molasses. You can use a light molasses or Grandma’s Molasses, those are easier to find in the stores but blackstrap has a higher concentrate of nutrients in each tablespoon. Blackstrap also has a bit more flavor to it. I use 2-3 tablespoons blackstrap, if you use a lighter molasses I would do 3-4 tablespoons.
To read more about how molasses is made and the difference between the different type check out “How to Make Brown Sugar” or “Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses“

Toppings (optional)

Avocado, sour cream or plain greek yogurt, cheese, red onions, cilantro, limes, or cornbread. Your choice! My kids like greek yogurt and cheese, while my husband like cheese and cornbread, and I prefer avocados, cilantro and limes. Dec out your chili how ever you like or just eat it as is. It can holds it own.

How to Make Vegan Chili

1. If you are using dry beans, soak and cook those first.
   
2. Dice your onion and saute those first in a large pot. You can use a little oil if you like, I have found it unnecessary and usually don’t add oil.
   
3. Dice you bell pepper, fresh garlic, mushrooms and jalapeno and any other vegetables you choose to add. Don’t forget to peel items like carrots and sweet potatoes… etc.
   
4. Add the vegetables as you dice them into the pot and continue to mix as you chop and cook.
   
5. Add spices and herbs, mix in.
   
6. Add tomatoes, mix in.
   
7. Add molasses, mix in.
   
8. Add bean, mix in.
   
9. Mash with a potato masher to break up some of the beans to release their natural starches and thicken the juices and liquids in the chili.
   
10. Cover with a lid and let it simmer on low for 30 minutes. If your chili still has too much liquid, simmer for another 10 minutes with the lid off.

Its pretty easy and straight forward and always turns out so delicious!

TIP: How To Get The Seeds Out of A Jalapeno

If you like more heat you can leave the seeds and core in the jalapeno but in order to make this a little more kid friendly I take them out.

Vegan Chili with Molasses

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1, 15oz can pinto beans
• 1, 15oz can black beans
• 1, 15oz can kidney beans
• (OR 1 1/2 cups dry beans making about 4.5-5 cups cooked beans)
• 2, 15oz cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 cups frozen mushroom (or 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms)
• 1 jalapeno
• 2 cloves garlic (or 2/3 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 2-3 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
• 2 teaspoons chili pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2-3 carrots (optional)
• 1-2 squash or zucchini (optional)
• Other vegetables you like (optional)

Instructions

1. If using dry beans, soak and cook them first.
2. Dice your onion and saute those first in a large pot. You can use a little oil if you like, I have found it unnecessary and usually don’t add oil.
3. Dice you bell pepper, fresh garlic, mushrooms and jalapeno and any
   other vegetables you choose to add. Don’t forget to peel items like
   carrots and sweet potatoes… etc.
4. Add the vegetables as you dice them into the pot and continue to mix as you chop and cook.
5. Add spices and herbs, tomatoes, molasses, and bean, mix together.
6. Mash with a potato masher to break up some of the beans to release
   their natural starches and thicken the juices and liquids in the chili.
7. Cover with a lid and let it simmer on low for 30 minutes. If your
   chili still has too much liquid, simmer for another 10 minutes with the
   lid off.

The post Homemade Vegan Chili with Molasses appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Molasses is a by product of sugar cane or sugar beets just like granulated sugar. To make it you take the juice from the sugar cane or beet and boil it down. Once all the water is evaporated you are left with a syrup. This syrup is then crystalized and separated into dry sugar crystals and the remaining syrup which we call molasses!

To learn more about how brown sugar is made from the molasses and sugar read, “How To Make Brown Sugar” here.

Heads up! My post do contain affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Different Types of Molasses

As the sugar cane juices are boiled down the molasses and sugar are separated.

• After the first boil you get light molasses.
  Light molasses has the highest content of sugar of the three.
• The second boil a dark molasses
• And then the third boil gets you Blackstrap molasses.
  Blackstrap has the highest concentration of all the good nutrients.

Some of the more common labels to see in the store would be,

• Old Fashioned Molasses. Old fashioned hasn’t had all of the sugar removed (typically a light molasses) from it so it is a little sweeter but has a lower concentrate of nutrients then blackstrap molasses. Molasses can be bitter so the sweeter flavor makes it more popular for recipes and desserts and will work great for making brown sugar.
• Blackstrap Molasses. Blackstrap has more of the sugar removed, which makes it less sweet or more bitter. The benefits is in its richer concentrate of iron and other nutrients. Light and dark molasses have these same nutrients but as you continue to boil it down it becomes a thicker and richer concentrate of those nutrients.
• Unsolphured Molasses. If the sugar cane is unripe when the molasses is extracted from it, sulphur dioxide is added to preserve it. Unsolphured means that the molasses has not been treated with sulphur dioxide.

Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap has a higher concentrate of all the nutrient benefits that come in molasses due to it being boiled down further than the other types. So lets look at the nutrient for 1 tablespoon.

Calories 50 g

Carbohydrates 13 g

Manganese 0.7mg (37 percent DV) – Fatigue, Brain Health, Digestion

Manganese is a mineral that nourishes the brain and nerve centers. It also helps with digestion metabolizing sugars and fats. Manganese helps with fatigue, nerve irritability, lower back pain and seizures.

Copper 0.6 mg (29 percent DV) – Blood Production and Health

Copper helps in absorbing iron, protein metabolism (converting food into usable protein), and helps with red blood cell production. It can also help keep your hair healthy with color.

Iron 4.7 mg (25 percent DV) – Anemia, Fatigue, Immunity

Iron helps produce hemoglobin with copper and proteins, hemoglobin then carries oxygen through the body in red blood cells. Similar to copper, iron will also help keep that color in your hair, along with bright eyes and strengthens immunity. Iron reducing fatigue, anemia and muscle weakness.

Calcium 226 mg (15 percent DV) – Bone Health, Heart Health, Nerves System

Calcium works to build solid bones and teeth. It also works with magnesium to aiding in cardiovascular health. Lowing blood pressure, helps blood to clot, prevents muscle cramping, and helps maintain your nervous system. Calcium helps with quality sleep and rest, reducing anxiety and depression.Calcium 226 mg (15 percent DV) – Bone Health, Heart Health, Nerves SystemCalcium works to build solid bones and teeth. It also works with magnesium to aiding in cardiovascular health. Lowing blood pressure, helps blood to clot, prevents muscle cramping, and helps maintain your nervous system. Calcium helps with quality sleep and rest, reducing anxiety and depression.

Potassium 334 mg (8 percent DV) Acid/Alkaline System, Electrolyte, Brain Health, Hormone Health

Potassium helps balance the acid/alkaline system in your body. It is an electrolyte and works with sodium (another electrolyte) to regulate the body’s water balance. Potassium helps oxygenate the brain and helps reduce anxiety, depression and stress. It helps keep a healthy hear, muscle function, energy, nerve stability, enzyme and hormone production.

Magnesium 60 mg (15 percent DV) – Nerve Function and Muscle Function, Kidney Health and Heart Health

Magnesium enhances the absorption of other minerals. It is necessary for nerve function and muscle function. Magnesium reduces stress and nerves, it helps calm twitching (nerves and muscles) and promotes endurance and exercise capacity. It also aids in the healthy of your kidneys and heart.

Vitamin B6 0.2 mg (10 percent DV) – Nervous System, Natural Diuretic

Vitamin B6 also known as Pyridoxine is a great help to the nervous system. It is especially helpful to those with epilepsy or convulsions, and carpal tunnel syndrome. It works as an natural diuretic especially during per-menstrual time, also helps with acne, and alleviates morning sickness.

Selenium 5 micrograms (7 percent DV) – Immune System, Blood Health,

Selenium is a powerful anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, and stimulates the immune system. Working with Vitamin E it prevents fat and cholesterol build ups in the bloodstream by doing so it protects the heart.

All that to say, blackstrap is full of very good things!

If you want to know more about foods, vitamins, minerals and herbs that help heal our body I recommend “Healthy Healing” by Linda Page. It is a great resource for natural healing.

To summarize, the minerals and vitamins we receive from consuming blackstrap molasses helps aid our nerves system, brain function, blood function, immune system, and has electrolytes.

Molasses helps with fatigue and stress, menstrual relief, stabilizes blood sugar and slows down glucose, aids in digestion, can also be used as a stool softener. Molasses is an anti-imflammaotry and arthritis reliever. Its great for those who have epilepsy or heart arrhythmias. Its a natural sleep aid as well as increasing stamina and energy creating balance in your life.

There is so much good but how do I add molasses into my diet?

Easy Ways To Add Molasses Into Your Diet

Add It To Your Drinks

• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in your coffee
• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in your tea
• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in milk
• 1 teaspoon to a tablespoon in hot chocolate
• Pumpkin Gingerbread Molasses Smoothie
• Spinach Smoothie With Molasses

More Molasses Recipes

• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Molasses Vegan Chili
• Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls
• Ginger Cookies
• Gingerbread Loaf
• Molasses Banana Bread
• Maine Molasses Cake
• Best Southern Baked Beans
• Sweet Brown Bread Rolls

There are so many more recipes out there that include molasses in them. So many of them sound delicious that I myself want to try to make but and most of them desserts. When trying to add nutrition to your diet its best to first find the easiest and healthiest way to add it. If its about flavor, try all the cakes and cookies and enjoy! If you are truly trying to add molasses to your diet to improve your health I encourage you to find a way to add it in at least 5 times a week. I personally have been experimenting with adding to my daily spinach smoothies. Finding the right combination that my kids will also enjoy has been the hard part. When I figure it out, I’ll share the recipe. *UPDATE, Here’s the recipe!

If you have some recipes featuring Molasses that you think I should try let me know in the comments below. I’m excited to continue to find new recipes and cook and bake more while improving my health.

Where To Get Blackstrap Molasses

Molasses is not very hard to find, but Blackstrap can be tricky. Our local Walmart carries Grandmas Original Molasses, but does not carry any Blackstrap. Often stores will carry molasses as a seasonal item for the holidays but its usually, again, not blackstrap. You may be lucky and have a local grocery store that carries blackstrap but if not try looking at the local health food stores.

Online is probably the easiest way to find it. Amazon has Golden Barrel Unsulfured Blackstrap Molasses among other good brands.

I get my blackstrap molasses from Azure Standard. I love the quality, the price and the bulk sizes. Azure Standard is a online store focused on high quality organic foods. Azure runs like a co-op and deliver monthly to a drop off location near you. Read my “Azure Standard Review” to find out more about Azure Standard.

The post Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Brown sugar is made of 2 ingredients. Granulated sugar and molasses. Simply mix 1 cup sugar to 1 tablespoon molasses and done. It truly is as simple as that. There’s literally nothing else to it.

Keep reading to find out more on Different Mixing Techniques, Different Types of Molasses, What is Molasses and How its Made, FAQ so you can improve your from scratch home cooking knowledge and skills.

Heads up! My post do contain affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

4 Different Mixing Techniques

There are some different techniques in the way you mix the two ingredients but no right or wrong, just preference. There is also different opinions on what you what type of sugar or molasses is best. All types of sugar and molasses work.

I’m sure you can probably come up with a few more ways to mix two ingredients and if you think of another way that works for you, great! Do that.

• Bowl and spoon. This techniques works great for small amount. If you just need 1 cup or 2 cups of brown sugar you can just quickly mix them together and add them to your recipe.
• Electric Hand Mixer. If you don’t want to mix by hand or maybe you have a need little be more then just a cup or two an electric hand mixer can be just the right tool for you.
• KitchenAid Mixer. Now if you are making a lot of brown sugar like I do you may want to use a bigger mixer like a KitchenAid. It will mix a larger quantity (6-8 cups) with minimal work on your part.
• Food processor. Because I use organic sugar that has somewhat larger crystals I prefer to use my food processor. It mixes as well as granulates my sugar just a little bit more. The food processor does do as much as my KitchenAid so I just do a few batches in order to fill my container.

Different types of Molasses

As the sugar cane juices are boiled the molasses and sugar are separated.

• After the first boil you get light molasses,
• The second boil a dark molasses
• And then the third boil gets you Blackstrap molasses.

Other names you will see for molasses are,

• Old Fashioned Molasses. Old fashioned molasses hasn’t had all of the sugar removed (typically light molasses) from it so it is a little sweeter but has a lower concentrate of iron then blackstrap molasses. Molasses can be bitter so the sweeter flavor in this molasses makes it more popular for recipes and desserts and will work great for making brown sugar.
• Blackstrap Molasses. Blackstrap molasses has more of the sugar removed, which makes it less sweet or more bitter. The benefits is in its richer concentrate of iron and other nutrients. Light and dark molasses have these same nutrients but as you continue to boil it down it becomes a thicker and richer concentrate of those nutrients.
• Unsolphured Molasses. If the sugar cane is unripe when the molasses is extracted from it, sulphur dioxide is added to preserve it. Unsolphured molasses means that molasses has not been treated with sulphur dioxide.

What is molasses? How is it made?

Molasses is a by product of sugar cane or sugar beets just like granulated sugar. To make sugar and molasses you take the juice from the sugar cane or beet and boil it down. Once all the water is evaporated you are left with a syrup. This syrup is then crystalized and separated into dry sugar crystals and the remaining syrup which we call molasses!

So you might be thinking that the brown sugar in the store is processed by not separating the molasses and sugar fully, resulting in brown sugar. Close, that’s possible but not how they do. The brown sugar you find in the store is more often separated completely, so that if fully a dry crystal, granulated and processed and then they add the molasses back in so that we have that fine texture of granulated brown sugar.

Raw sugar, turbinado sugar, and organic cane sugars are less refined resulting in a larger crystal (not fine and granulated) and holds on to some of the original molasses giving it a light brown coloring. Its not enough molasses to be considered brown sugar but not refined enough to be considered white granulated sugar.

FAQ:

How to keep brown sugar from getting hard?

To be honest I don’t experience this problem with brown sugar as much as I do with my organic cane sugar. This happens when the moisture from the molasses evaporates from the sugar and the crystals clump together creating a hard block of sucrose. This happens to organic cane sugars as well because the still have traces of molasses in them.

To prevent this from happening store in an airtight container capturing the moisture. If brown sugar is not filling up the container there could be too much air exposure causing the problem. You can place a layer of plastic wrap over the it to help retain moisture or keep the sugar in a Zip-lock bag. You can also purchase a nifty terracotta brown sugar keeper on Amazon. Terracotta holds on to moisture for a long time. So the idea is that you can soak the terracotta disc in water for 15 minutes and place it in your sugar. It will help keep the moisture in the container and you sugar softer for 3-6 months.

How to soften brown sugar?

If you have hard brown sugar in order to soften it quickly you can use the microwave. Measure out the amount you need in a microwave safe bowl and place a damp paper towel on the top. Microwave in 20 second increments until it is soft. Brake up any larger clumps with a fork as you go.

If you have the time and don’t want to use the microwave you can also place a slice of bread, or a few slices of apples or a terracotta brown sugar saver in your brown sugar for 24 hours. They will slowly add moisture back into your brown sugar and you will be able to break up any large clumps with a fork.

Is it cheaper to make my own or buy brown sugar?

Okay, lets do some math.
2lbs Great Value Light Brown Sugar: $2.57 – 8.0c/oz
2lbs C&H Dark Brown Sugar: $3.43 – 10.7c/oz

4lbs Great Value Pure Granulated Sugar: $3.24 – 5.1c/oz
4lbs C&H Premium Pure Cane Granulated Sugar: $3.73 – 5.8c/oz

12 fl oz Grandma’s Original Unsulphured Molasses: $3.66 – 30.5c/fl.oz

If my recipe is for every 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of molasses and there is 8 oz in a cup and 1/2 oz in a tablespoon. My homemade brown sugar equation comes to S(8oz X 5.1c) + M(.5oz X 30.5c) = 56.05 cents per cup (8oz) of brown sugar. Divide 56.05/8oz = 7.0cents/oz for homemade brown sugar. The answer, its CHEAPER by 1 cent per oz.
If you don’t like my math feel free to challenge it in the comments. I enjoy figuring number and seeing how other figure these types of problems out.

Can I substitute molasses with something else to make brown sugar?

You can’t actually substitute molasses with anything else by mixing it with the sugar to get brown sugar. But you can substitute, in your recipes, brown sugar with maple syrup or honey.

What type of molasses should I use?

For making brown sugar it doesn’t matter. The lighter Old Fashioned molasses will create a lighter brown sugar you will need more to make it darker. Blackstrap molasses will get you a dark brown sugar with less. The sweet flavor of the old fashioned and the bitter flavor of the blackstrap doesn’t matter when you are mixing it with sugar.

When it comes to recipe like molasses cookies, ginger bread houses or molasses banana bread, the recipe might call for a specific type of molasses. Depending on the flavor you want you should use the correct molasses. Lighter molasses will have a lighter flavor, blackstrap has a stronger flavor. There are some tricks you can use if you don’t have the right one. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 cup light molasses but all you have is blackstrap you can substitute 3/4 blackstrap and 1/4 honey or maple syrup to lighten it up. If it calls for blackstrap and all you have is light molasses… You could technically boil it down and get a blackstrap but I usually just add another 1/4 cup of the or so of molasses and take out a little oil or butter, depending on the recipe, to even out the moisture.

Should you refrigerate Molasses after opening?

It is recommended that if you molasses is unsulphured you should refrigerate after opening. Personally, I didn’t know this until doing research this post. I have never refrigerated my molasses and I have never had it go bad. In the past I have left 1/2 used jars of molasses in my pantry for almost a year and it was still good. So should you refrigerate the molasses? Yes. Can un-refrigerated molasses keep in your pantry. Yes. Can un-refrigerated molasses go bad. Yes. Refrigerated molasses will keep longer, and safer.

Comment below if you have any other questions about brown sugar or molasses. You can also read more about the health benefits of molasses here. And follow along for more recipes featuring molasses. Have a great day and happy baking!

The post How To Make Brown Sugar appeared first on Embracing The Home.