SLOW AND EARTHY MOLASSES IS THE SOUL OF HOME COOKING : HOW TO USE MOLASSES.

Byline: Tina Danze Special to the Daily News

Old-fashioned Southerners know few things are slower than molasses in winter. They also know that no matter how long it takes, pouring that molasses is worth the wait.

The dark, sugar-cane syrup imparts a deep, homey flavor - as well as a shot of sweetness - to baked goods, meats and other dishes.

One whiff of an open jar of molasses might turn off the uninitiated - the sweetener bears a strong, almost smoky odor. But molasses wins over even skeptics once they sample its flavor in gingerbread, pork loin, chicken, muffins or baked beans.

``Molasses has earthy, unrefined flavor that associates with home cooking,'' says Stephan Pyles, chef/owner of Dallas' Star Canyon restaurant and author of ``The New Texas Cuisine'' (Doubleday; $35). He slips dark molasses into his garlic marinade for pork or quail. ``It has a strong flavor that stands up to the meat,'' he says, ``and it caramelizes on the grill.''

Molasses isn't nearly as mysterious as it looks. It's simply boiled sugar cane juice. The initial boiling produces a light molasses, which is the sweetest and mildest variety. It can double as a condiment or a baking and cooking sweetener.

A second boiling of the cane yields dark molasses, which carries a more robust flavor and a lower sugar content. Dark molasses is most often used for cooking and baking.

Few recipes call for black-strap molasses, a product of the third boiling of the sugar cane. The thick, black syrup has a strong, somewhat bitter taste and a low sugar content.

Although all molasses contains iron, potassium and calcium, black-strap molasses is the only variety with a significant concentration of the nutrients. It's sold in health and natural foods stores.

Many cooks puzzle over which molasses to use, dark or light. It comes down to personal preferences for sweetness and flavoring. As for sulfured vs. unsulfured molasses, purchase the unsulfured; no sulfites have been added.

Concern over sulfites may be a non issue with molasses; these days, it's difficult to find molasses that doesn't boast ``unsulfured'') on the label.

Once the sweetener of choice through the United States, molasses still is used liberally in many parts of the South. Those weaned on the southern staple can't imagine some of their favorite dishes without it.

Marie Tilden of Dallas, grew up on her family's Louisiana sugar cane plantation, deep in Cajun country. ``We used it in pecan pies, cakes, yam casseroles, and pork and beans,'' she says. ``Growing up, my mother made molasses and peanut butter sandwiches. Our favorite snack was French bread with molasses poured in the middle.''

Although light and dark commercially prepared molasses are widely available, many connoisseurs insist that the best flavor comes form the country-made cane syrups. These are loosely called molasses by some farm producers.

``You can taste the difference,'' says Thomas Grimes, a fourth-generation East Texas cane syrup producer.

Cane syrup - a close relative of light molasses - is made from the boiled concentrated sap, as opposed to the juice of sugar cane. Its flavor is slightly milder and sweeter than that of molasses, but the difference is subtle. Like light molasses, cane syrup is often spread on biscuits or drizzled over pancakes. Purists claim its flavor is assertive enough to substitute for molasses in baked goods.

Sorghum molasses, on the other hand, scores closest to genuine molasses on the assertiveness scale, although it is somewhat sweeter. The dark brown syrup is produced from sorghum cane and made on small farms throughout the South.

``People use sorghum molasses for cooking and baking,'' says Grimes. ``It's a real strong taste.'' He notes that the strength of the country-made sorghum molasses can vary somewhat between producers and even states.

``You can't find anyone who wants to work on a farm anymore, says Grimes. ``I've been making cane syrup since I was big enough to walk, like my daddy, my granddaddy and my great-grandfather ahead of me,'' he says. ``But it's hard work and at age 65, I'm slowing my production.''

The Molasses Information Network suggests using molasses the following ways. But you're likely to come up with a few dozen more.

Add it to hot cereal such as oatmeal.

For easy baked beans, add 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon prepared mustard and 1/2 cup chopped onion to 2 cans pork and beans. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 1 hour.

Stir it into butter and spread on biscuits or muffins.

Blend 1 tablespoon molasses with the grated peel of 1 orange and 8 ounces of cream cheese. Spread on sweet breads such as pumpkin, date or zucchini.

Marinate boneless skinless chicken breast fillets in a mixture of 2 tablespoons molasses and 1/2 cup cider vinegar for several hours before grilling.

Add 1 teaspoon molasses to each cup of sliced cooked root vegetables or purees. Try carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash or acorn squash.

Substitute it for sugar in coffee.

The molasses family

Here are the kinds of molasses and their close kin and what distinguishes one from another:

Light molasses: the syrup produced by the initial boiling of sugar cane juice. The sweetest, mildest molasses.

Dark molasses: the syrup produced by the second boiling. It has a stronger flavor and lower sugar content.

Black-strap molasses: the thick, black syrup produced by the third boiling. Somewhat bitter with a low sugar content, but only molasses syrup with a significant concentration of iron, potassium and calcium.

Cane syrup: a close relative of light molasses made from the boiled, concentrated sap of sugar cane.

Sorghum: closer in appearance and taste to dark molasses, although somewhat sweeter; it is produced from sorghum cane.

GRANDMA MAUDE'S GINGERBREAD

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter OR solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, unbeaten

1 cup molasses

1 cup hot water

Powdered sugar

Grease bottom of a 9x9x2-inch pan, then line with wax paper.

Sift together flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Cream together thoroughly butter and sugar. Add egg; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses. Add flour mixture alternately with hot water until mixture is just smooth. Batter will be very thin. Turn batter into pan.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from pan, peel off paper and cool on a rack.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 9 servings.

NOTE: Create patterns with powdered sugar by covering gingerbread with a doily or strips of wax paper before sprinkling.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 353 calories; 12 grams fat; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 453 milligrams sodium.

From Marie Tilden.

BEST OF BRAN MUFFINS

3 cups shredded bran cereal, such as All Bran OR 100 percent Bran

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup raisins

1 cup boiling water

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk 

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

4 teaspoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large boil, combine cereal, oil and raisins; pour boiling water over mixture. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk and molasses. Add to partly cooled cereal mixture.

In another small bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to cereal mixture, stirring just to moisten dry ingredients. Cover batter and let stand at least 15 minutes, preferably 1 hour.

Grease 24 muffin cups and divide batter among them, filling each cup about 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated 400-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes. Remove muffins from oven and cool slightly in pan. Remove muffins from pan and cool completely on a rack. Makes 2 dozen dozen.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 150 calories; 6 grams fat; 18 milligrams cholesterol; 256 milligrams sodium.

From ``Jane Brody's Good Food Book.''

MOLASSES-PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper 

1 cup finely ground pecans

2 tablespoons olive oil

Place each breast half between pieces of wax paper and pound until thin. Mix molasses and mustard.

Salt and pepper breasts to taste, then coat in molasses/mustard mixture. Roll each in ground pecans. Chill to set at lest 1 hour.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until springy to touch; about 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 514 calories; 31 grams fat; 72 milligrams cholesterol; 725 milligrams sodium.

MOLASSES-GARLIC MARINADE

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dark beer

2 tablespoons molasses

Grated peel of 1 lemon, blanched 

Grated peel of 1 orange, blanched

1 tablespoon chopped lemon thyme

4 tablespoons peeled and diced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Use to marinade poultry or pork before grilling or roasting. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

Adapted from ``The New Texas Cuisine.''

PORK LOIN WITH MOLASSES-GARLIC MARINADE

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork loin

Molasses-Garlic Marinade (see recipe above)

Coat pork loin thoroughly in marinade. Marinate 1 hour or more, refrigerated, turning several times.

Remove pork from marinade. Place in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a meat thermometer into center of thickest part of meat.

Roast in preheated 325-degree oven 2 to 3 hours or until meat thermometer ometer reaches 170 degrees F, basting with marinade every 30 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 398 calories; 200 grams fat; 132 milligrams cholesterol; 477 milligrams sodium.

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Photo

Photo: (color) Grandma Maude's Gingerbread is made with a cup of molasses.

Juan Garcia/Dallas Morning News