Why it works: Sugar and molasses 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 ↓
Crumb Cookies
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 large bowl, mix sugar, lard, flour, crumbs, baking soda, water, molasses, salt, and spices until well combined.
Roll out the dough and cut into rounds using a cookie cutter.
Shape and bake
Dust the cookies with powdered sugar and place them on baking pans.
Make a cross on each cookie with a knife.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) until golden.
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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Sugar + molassestop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Flour + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the cookies together as they bake.
- Lard
- Adds fat for tenderness and a short, crumbly texture.
- Molasses
- Adds moisture, sweetness, and a deep flavor that helps browning.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidity in the dough to lift it and help it spread and brown.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the cookies and promotes browning as they bake.
- Crumbs
- Adds bulk and texture to the dough.
The step that matters
Bake until golden, not longer. Baking soda and sugars brown quickly once the oven heat sets the cookie. Pulling them when golden keeps the centers tender and prevents bitter, over-browned edges.
“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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