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 Snaps
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Combine one pint Orleans molasses, half pint melted lard, half pint boiling water, one and a half tablespoons soda dissolved in water, tablespoon ginger, and a little salt.
Stir in flour to make as soft a dough as possible to roll.
Shape and bake
Take a small quantity at a time and roll thin.
Bake in a hot oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
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.
-
Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 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
- Orleans molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture and dark colour to the dough.
- Lard
- Adds fat that keeps the cookies tender and short.
- Soda
- Reacts with the acidic molasses to lift and darken the cookies.
- Flour (in the method)
- Provides the structure that lets the soft dough be rolled out.
- Ginger (in the method)
- Provides the spicy aroma and flavour that define the cookie.
The step that matters
Rolling the dough thin. Thin pieces bake through into crisp cookies, while thicker ones stay soft in the centre. Rolling a small amount at a time keeps the soft dough manageable so it does not stick or dry out.
“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.
You might also like
Molasses Cookies96 recipes
Molasses Cake90 recipes
Molasses Sponge Cake9 recipes
White Cake431 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.