Why it works: Ginger and raisin are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,242 recipes. Both carry decanal, which smells soap, orange peel. The science ↓
Ginger Snaps
Ingredients
Directions
Combine 1 cup molasses and 1 cup sugar.
Add 1 tablespoon soda and 2 tablespoons vinegar.
Boil 1 tablespoon ginger with the molasses.
Stir the soda into the mixture.
Beat 2 eggs with sugar and ginger.
Stir the egg mixture into the molasses.
Bake quickly.
Beat 2 eggs with 1 cup butter.
Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup raisins (stoned).
Add a little soda.
Add spices of all kinds (a spoonful of each).
Add flour to roll and cut.
Bake.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
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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Ginger + raisintop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,242 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Molasses + raisintop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,577 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + raisintop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Ginger + molassestop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 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
- Molasses
- Gives a dark, moist, sticky texture and a deep, rich flavour.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the cookies brown as they bake.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a tender texture and rich flavour.
- Eggs
- Bind the dough and add structure to the cookies.
- Soda
- Reacts with the vinegar and molasses to lift and lighten the dough.
The step that matters
Stir the soda into the mixture. Soda needs an acid such as vinegar to react and lift the dough. It must be stirred in evenly, or some cookies will rise unevenly and taste harsh or bitter in patches.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, molasses, butter, sugar, raisin, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Allspicefits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, molasses, butter, sugar, raisin, egg. 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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