I’m no scientist. I’m no nutritionist. I’m just a woman with grey hair.
A woman who is very tired of covering those wiry greys every six weeks.
A woman who would rather spend the money from her hair color on good food.
If you can relate (men with grey hair this is for you, too), keep reading.
I recently treated myself to some great vegan cookbooks, Vegan with a Vengeance and Veganomicon, and found a couple delicious-sounding recipes that required molasses. So I bought a jar of the pure unsulphered Blackstrap Molasses from Fruitwood Orchards on opening day at the Farmer’s Market.
I started doing some research on the properties of blackstrap molasses and found that this is wonder serum in a jar! Blackstrap molasses is made from the third boiling of cane sugar syrup. Regular molasses is made from the first or second. By the third boiling, the iron content of the molasses is at its highest level. It is also high in many other nutrients (manganese, copper, Vitamin B6, and many more) and because of that it is superior to other sugar-based sweeteners. Some folks even claim it has cured cancer, acne, arthritis, the list goes on and on. And, yes, it may even turn premature grey hair back to its original color.
Most folks who use blackstrap molasses for an ailment (or to remove greys) usually either take it by mouth, dissolve it in water or milk, or drizzle over oatmeal. However, I think by cookie works best for me. Here’s a recipe that I found from one of my favorite websites, The Green Guide, courtesy of Amy Topel.
Molasses Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses (blackstrap works well)
1-3/4 cups sorghum flour, or 2-1/4 cups white wheat flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Raw, coarse, or sanding sugar for coating
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil or butter a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add in the eggs and molasses and beat until well blended.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat at medium speed until the mixture doesn’t stick to the bowl, adding more flour if necessary.
To form each cookie, make a golf-ball-sized ball, and then flatten it between your hands. Dredge each flattened ball in the raw sugar.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 1 to 2 inches apart, and bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Don’t let the cookies get too brown on the bottom. Cool on a rack.
If you would like to learn more about blackstrap molasses, click here or here.
There’s also a book available on Amazon called Crude Black Molasses by Cyril Scott for those who are intrigued.
I’m off to eat those greys right out of my hair. Is that how the old hair color jingle goes?
See you at the Market!
Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA