Why it works: Molasses and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,225 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Ginger Cookies II
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a saucepan, combine molasses, brown sugar, strong coffee, and the lard and butter mixture.
Heat on the stove until it foams, then let it cool.
Mix in baking soda and ginger.
Shape and bake
Roll the dough thin and cut into shapes.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) until done.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Molasses + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sugar + gingertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together14,054 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Sugar + coffeetop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,344 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar and ginger barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 14,054 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and deep color, and its acidity reacts with the baking soda.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and moisture, helping the cookies stay soft and browned.
- Strong coffee
- Adds a slightly bitter depth that balances the sweetness of the molasses and sugar.
- Lard and butter
- Provides fat for tenderness and rich flavor in the cookies.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic molasses to release gas, lifting the dough and aiding browning.
- Ginger
- Provides the warm, spicy aroma that defines the cookie.
The step that matters
Mixing in the baking soda. Baking soda reacts with the acidic molasses to release carbon dioxide gas, which lightens the dough. It should be mixed in thoroughly so the leavening and color are even throughout the batch.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, sugar, coffee, butter):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Gingerthe original
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Clovefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, sugar, coffee, butter. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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