what you should know

What makes brown sugar brown? Molasses. That's what.

While raw sugar (like demarara or turbinado) comes by its golden color naturally, brown sugar is refined white sugar tarted up with a bit of molasses. (Dark brown sugar has more molasses than light).

pour some sugar The water in molasses adds moisture to brown sugar that makes it ideal for baked goods, giving them a crumbly texture and a deeper flavor than ordinary white sugar does.

keep it tight Be sure to store your brown sugar in a tightly sealed container to keep it soft and pliant.

dirty sugar Domino sugar launched a smear campaign against brown sugar at the end of the 1800s, replete with nasty photographs of benign microbes living in brown sugar. 
  
sticky fingers Sugar formed one leg of history's most notorious triangle trade route, one of many taboo subjects that might have inspired Sir Lips when he sat down and wrote, "Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields..."

what you need

Try this classic for some good, old-school ideas about how to use brown sugar.

Use these stainless steel measuring cups to dole out the sweet stuff.

Along with a song, brown sugar has inspired a movie and an album.

Winter's coming and with it hard times: stock up on this steel-cut oatmeal. Top it with brown sugar and raisins to make a wholesome and warming breakfast.

what you do

For a sweet but stimulating breakfast, try these carrot and ginger muffins.

Scandinavian gravlax gets an American twist with a brown sugar cure.

Dark brown sugar and red wine vinegar give this brisket its rich, balanced flavor.

Spicy squash would make a fine addition to the Thanksgiving (or any) table.

We always look forward to making these crispy spice cookies around the holidays.

Simultaneously rustic and elegant, black plum tarte tatin makes the most of brown sugar's caramel quality.

Featured: A deliciously autumnal recipe for Apple Almond Upside-Down Cake from Wine Imbiber won this week's Root Source Challenge. Congratulations, Rich and Leah!

Find more brown sugar recipes at Cookthink.com. And if you haven't yet signed up for a free account at Cookthink, do it now!