Colonial Molasses Candy

Make some colonial molasses candy, just the way our colonial forefathers made it. The Molasses Act was passed by the British Parliament in 1733 in order to keep out foreign molasses, sugar and rum from the American colonies. It taxed foreign molasses so British producers in the West Indies could sell their goods to the colonies at a lower price. Molasses was extremely important to the colonial economy because it was a chief ingredient of rum. The production of rum was one of the largest industries in the colonies. In addition, molasses was also the chief sweetener for food. For a little fun, here is a quick and easy colonial molasses candy recipe for you!

Read an article about the history and impact of the Molasses Act here or read the Molasses Act text here.

Colonial Molasses Candy Recipe

You will need the following ingredients:

Pan of clean, fresh snow

1 cup of dark molasses

1/2 cup of brown sugar

Directions:

Pack snow at least two inches deep in a large pan or casserole dish.

Boil the molasses and brown sugar together at about 300 degrees on a candy thermometer until they combine and slightly thicken. Pour the thickened syrup over the snow in ribbons, circles or fun shapes. The candy will begin to harden almost immediately. Wait a few minutes for the syrup to set and harden.