Molasses

Is brown sugar made from white sugar, or is white sugar purified brown sugar? Which is more fattening? To understand this, it's a good idea to start with the origins of sugar, which comes in many different forms. Common white table sugar, called sucrose, is made of two simpler sugars, fructose and glucose, joined together. Sucrose, which is naturally white, is usually derived from sugar cane or sugar beets. The process of extracting the sugar is the same for both: The juice is filtered to remove plant matter and boiled down.

Author and historian Stephen Puleo will discuss his book "Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919" on April 26 at 7 p.m. in the Walpole Public Library. Copies of the book, provided by Barnes & Noble in Wapole, will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the library. Puleo, who teaches at Suffolk University, also donates part of his book proceeds to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. - Johanna Seltz

Makes 16 Butter (for the pan) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup molasses 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee granules mixed with 1 tablespoon water (or 1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee) 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder,...

Aside from appearing at venerable restaurants such as Durgin-Park and Union Oyster House, and at church suppers around New England, Boston baked beans - which gives this town its nickname - is not a common menu item. Still, making beans from scratch has been an enduring ritual of the region and one that continues today. Chef Frank McClelland grew up in New Hampshire during the 1960s eating baked beans. "My grandmother, an incredible cook, would make her own recipe for Saturday night's dinner," he says.

Molasses-ginger cookies Makes 16 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses 1 egg 1. Set the oven at 375 degrees.

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen Make the dough at least five hours before you need it. It's too soft to use sooner than that. DOUGH 3 1/4 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt (preferably fine sea salt) 2 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup plus 2...

It is hard to recall when markets did not offer a stunning array of whole wheat breads. The many people who resolve to eat more grains at the start of the year these days have a nice selection. The important element on the label is that whole wheat flour, or another grain, be the first ingredient. We sat down with seven brands of 100 percent whole wheat bread, ranging from the artisanal looking Nashoba Brook, squared-off dense Iggy's, to airy Wonder Bread. It was hard to think of these as the same species, yet they are all entirely whole wheat.

Makes one 9-inch square cake Transplanted New Englander Sue Conrad, who now lives in North Redington Beach, Fla. wrote, "I found this recipe years ago in a 1960s Good Housekeeping magazine, back when recipes didn't require ingredients that were exotic or could only be used in one particular dish. " The flavor of molasses is strong (in a good way); the buttermilk tenderizes the cake and gives it a little tang, helped by the lemon sauce. CAKE Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan)

Aside from appearing at venerable restaurants such as Durgin-Park and Union Oyster House, and at church suppers around New England, Boston baked beans - which gives this town its nickname - is not a common menu item. Still, making beans from scratch has been an enduring ritual of the region and one that continues today. Chef Frank McClelland grew up in New Hampshire during the 1960s eating baked beans. "My grandmother, an incredible cook, would make her own recipe for Saturday night's dinner," he says.

Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake Bradford resident Sarah Chase makes this family recipe, which her mother found blowing around a store parking lot when they were vacationing in Maine in the 1970s. We loved this cake, with its strong molasses flavor and taste of coffee, so we doubled the recipe that Chase sent in to bake it in a Bundt pan. The hot coffee gives this cake an extra depth of flavor; the high proportion of molasses and coffee makes a moist crumb. Butter (for the pan)

It is hard to recall when markets did not offer a stunning array of whole wheat breads. The many people who resolve to eat more grains at the start of the year these days have a nice selection. The important element on the label is that whole wheat flour, or another grain, be the first ingredient. We sat down with seven brands of 100 percent whole wheat bread, ranging from the artisanal looking Nashoba Brook, squared-off dense Iggy's, to airy Wonder Bread. It was hard to think of these as the same species, yet they are all entirely whole wheat.

Makes one 8-inch square cake Roberta Strack of Westwood makes a cake handed down to her from her late grandmother Mary Evelyn Kimball, who lived in Hyde Park. She found the recipe written on a piece of paper slipped between the pages of "A New Book of Cookery" (1912) by Fannie Farmer. The flavor of the molasses isn't as pronounced in this cake as in the others, and it has a nice, spicy bite. Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan) 1 egg 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/3 cup butter, melted and cool but...

Molasses-ginger cookies Makes 16 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses 1 egg 1. Set the oven at 375 degrees.

Rosie's Bakery's big, thick, ginger molasses cookies ($1.20) are a perfect mix of soft and chewy, with just a bit of crunch around the edges, packed with ginger and molasses but not overly sweet. Leave a few for Santa and he'll be good to you. Call ahead to make sure the cookies are in. Pictured: Judy Rosenberg, owner of Rosie's Bakery. Rosie's Bakery, 243 Hampshire St., Cambridge, 617-491-9488; 1796 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-902-2029; 9 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, 617-277-5629; 2 South Station, Boston, 617-439-4684; 55 Central St., Wellesley, 781-431-2532; or go to www.rosiesbakery.com.

Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake Bradford resident Sarah Chase makes this family recipe, which her mother found blowing around a store parking lot when they were vacationing in Maine in the 1970s. We loved this cake, with its strong molasses flavor and taste of coffee, so we doubled the recipe that Chase sent in to bake it in a Bundt pan. The hot coffee gives this cake an extra depth of flavor; the high proportion of molasses and coffee makes a moist crumb. Butter (for the pan)

Makes one 9-inch square cake Transplanted New Englander Sue Conrad, who now lives in North Redington Beach, Fla. wrote, "I found this recipe years ago in a 1960s Good Housekeeping magazine, back when recipes didn't require ingredients that were exotic or could only be used in one particular dish. " The flavor of molasses is strong (in a good way); the buttermilk tenderizes the cake and gives it a little tang, helped by the lemon sauce. CAKE Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan)

Makes about 4 dozen The recipe used by Blair Porter of Ladycakes Bakery is based on this traditional formula from “A Book of Favorite Recipes,’’ compiled in 1994 by the Gerry School Cookbook committee. Blair’s adaptations include using dark rum and blackstrap molasses. You can also use regular rum and molasses. 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice ...

We're looking for your favorite family gingerbread recipe - a cake or loaf, not cookies. Most old-fashioned recipes contain molasses and ground ginger; newer versions are often made with candied ginger. All are usually simple, one-bowl affairs. If you have one you love, please send it to the Recipe Box Project at recipebox@globe.com.