Pantry

9 Ways to Use Up that Last Slick of Molasses

What to do when you hit the bottom of the jar.

November 30, 2015

It's one kind of sticky mess to get your hands on and into a jar of molasses. It's another kind of sticky mess to realize you've reached the bottom of the jar. But don't throw the last few tablespoons out! A little molasses goes a long way. Here's what to do with it:

Brighten a biscuit with molasses butter. Photo by James Ransom
  • Add it to milk in lieu of chocolate syrup. (Or, just pour milk straight into the molasses jar and shake it up.) It would make for a special egg cream, too.
  • QueenSashy and cv both use a bit of molasses to flavor meat—either as a barbecue sauce or a glaze (QueenSashy mixes it with bay leaves, peppercorns, whiskey, and mustard).
  • Make a compound butter to slather onto biscuits, drop into just-baked sweet potatoes or hot oatmeal, or spread over toast. Maedl takes a shortcut by spooning molasses onto buttered bread.
  • Sweeten buttercream frosting with it. SexyLAMBCHOPx recommends a brown butter-molasses buttercream.
  • Swap it for maple syrup or honey as the sweetener in a batch of granola.
  • ...Or in a salad dressing. It brings color and depth to a vinaigrette. (Try it with sharp greens and roasted squash!)
  • Or stir a spoonful into a pot of beans for a Boston-baked-style twist.
  • Drbabs has heard of using molasses as a deep-sweet addition to a vegetarian French onion soup.
  • Use it to lend sweetness to a stir-fry.

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2 Comments

AntoniaJames December 15, 2015
Here's the recipe for the bourbon balls in which I substitute molasses for honey: https://food52.com/recipes/8644-fudgy-bourbon-balls Scrumptious when made with molasses instead of honey.

Also, last week I made almond toffee -- classic butter / brown sugar / chopped nuts / melted dark chocolate -- in which I subbed two tablespoons of molasses for two tablespoons of brown sugar. Best toffee I've ever made. ;o)
 
AntoniaJames November 30, 2015
On buckwheat or any other kind of pancakes - of course! (I grew up in Virginia where we used molasses the way most people use maple syrup.)
Also, I use it in many recipes for baked goods that call for honey. (In fact, going beyond "dregs," I do a complete substitution in my mother's classical Lebkuchen, as I prefer the taste of molasses to that of honey.)
Will also be using molasses rather than honey in Melissa Clark's Fudgy Bourbon Balls next week, when I pack my holiday goodie boxes for shipping. ;o)