Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Aunt Molly's Ginger Bread
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the dough
Mix the milk, molasses, and flour together.
Melt and add the butter.
Bake in sheets.
Put the molasses in a very large dish, add the soda and melted butter, then add all the other ingredients.
Mix in the evening.
Rise and knead
Set in a warm place to rise overnight.
In the morning, knead the dough for a long time like bread.
Shape and bake
Roll the dough into squares half an inch thick.
Bake the squares in bread pans in an oven heated about right for bread.
Glaze and bake
Prepare a glossy mixture by whisking one well beaten egg with sweet cream (same amount or a little more).
Rub the glossy mixture over the top just before putting it into the oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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. See the original page.
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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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Flour and butter 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
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the dough together as it rises and bakes.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and the dark color and deep flavor of the gingerbread.
- Butter
- Adds fat, which tenderizes the crumb and carries flavor.
- Soda
- Reacts with the acidity of molasses to release gas, helping the dough rise and darken.
- Egg
- Binds the dough and, brushed on top, sets and browns to give a glossy finish.
- Sweet milk
- Adds moisture and softens the dough.
The step that matters
Rub the glossy mixture over the top just before baking. The beaten egg's proteins set and brown in the oven, giving the glossy crust. Applying it too early lets it soak in or dry unevenly, so it should go on just before the dough enters the oven.
“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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