Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Molasses Cookies II
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Heat molasses to boiling point.
Add shortening, ginger, soda dissolved in warm milk, salt, and flour.
Shape and bake
Toss one-fourth of the mixture on a floured board and roll as thinly as possible.
Shape with a small round cutter, first dipping the cutter in flour.
Gather up the trimmings and roll with another portion of dough.
During rolling, keep the bowl containing the mixture in a cool place, or add more flour if necessary to prevent the cookies from becoming hard.
Place the shaped dough near together on a buttered sheet and bake in a moderate oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Bread + milktop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,466 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Molasses + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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, dark color and moisture, and gives the cookies their characteristic flavor.
- Shortening and butter and lard
- Fat that tenderizes the dough and affects texture and spread.
- Soda
- Leavens the dough so the cookies rise slightly and stay soft.
- Bread flour
- Provides structure as the gluten and starch set during baking.
The step that matters
Rolling the dough. The dough must be rolled thin but kept cool and not over-floured; warm, dry dough becomes hard and tough once baked, so the bowl is kept cool and extra flour is added only as needed.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, butter, bread, flour, milk):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Clovefits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, butter, bread, flour, milk. 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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