I Can Taste a Difference, Can You Taste a Difference? There is a Difference

Drippy, runny, goey sweetness

 There is an old saying I learned from Saturday morning cartoons, "Now you know. And knowing is half the battle".  I never realized just how true that is.  When it comes to baking there will always be things I need to know or look up.  Always wanting to improve or try something new requires new knowledge and the ability to find the answers.  Another Saturday morning slogan I remember is the "More you know" slogan.  Again, this is so true.  I feel that the more I learn and know about the things I enjoy to do, such as baking, the more I will enjoy to do them.  I like to learn new things all the time.  Tonight was a learning night and I thought I should share my new knowledge because "Knowing is half the battle"!

Tonight while shopping and allowing Superstore to suck all the life out of my evening (save for a batch of ginger cookies) dear Hubby asked a question to which I did not know the answer.  I had to look it up when I got home!!  Sure, I could have posted a question of Chef Dennis in his Ask Chef Dennis section but then I would still be waiting until the answer was posted.  I was really curious and wanted to look this up tonight!
You see, I needed more molasses to finish some baking for the holiday season. As we lollygagged down the baking aisle looking for molasses, (I swear they move it everytime I need to buy it!) dear Hubby finally popped the question:

"What's the difference between cooking molasses, fancy molasses, and blackstrap molasses?  What kind do you need?"

All shopping stopped dead in its tracks!  Umm... Well.....  I, oh,  "Don't ask me questions to which I do not know the answer" came my reply.

Tonight then became a quasi trial night.  I made the ginger cookies with cooking molasses instead of fancy molasses tonight.  There was definitely a different taste to the cookies.  They weren't quite as sweet as the ones I made originally and they were a bit darker in colour as well.  Also there was a slightly bitter molasses after taste that wasn't by any means a bad taste but it would go well with a glass of milk, a cup of tea or coffee, or great with vanilla ice cream.

This week's cookie with cooking molasses:

Darker, slightly bitter, but still tasty

Last week's cookies with fancy molasses:

Lighter, more sweet, and still tasty

Here is some of the info I found thanks to the Crosby Molasses Company:

Fancy Molasses is what is left over after sugar cane has been pressed.  Fancy molasses offers more sweetness and a lighter colour to your baked goods than Blackstrap or Cooking molasses does.

Blackstrap Molasses is what is pressed from the sugar cane after all of the good stuff is gone.  It is darker and has a less sweet taste to it.

Cooking Molasses appears to be a mixture of Fancy and Blackstrap molasses.  It will give your baked goods a darker, slightly bitter taste.  Just as it did with my ginger cookies tonight. (according to what's cooking america)


Wow!  I am glad I looked that up!