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 ↓
Puffed Rice
Ingredients
Directions
Make the syrup
Boil together 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 teaspoon vinegar for five minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons molasses, a piece of butter the size of a walnut, and a pinch of salt; boil until a few drops in cold water become hard and brilliant, then take from the fire.
Coat and cool
Stir in a package of Quaker puffed rice, warmed, and spread on a dish to cool.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
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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Sugar + molassestop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Molasses + vinegartop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,253 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
- Granulated sugar
- Sugar dissolves and sets into a brittle, glossy coating as the syrup cools.
- Molasses
- Adds color and a deeper, caramel-like flavor to the syrup.
- Vinegar
- Acidity helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing, keeping the syrup smooth.
The step that matters
Boil the syrup to the hard stage. The sugar's final texture depends on how much water has boiled off. Stopping too early leaves a sticky coating that won't harden, while boiling too long makes it brittle and prone to scorching and bitterness.
“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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