Why it works: Molasses and ginger are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,116 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Water Gingerbread
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Combine two cups molasses, one cup warm water, one-half cup butter, one-half cup lard (heaping), one teaspoon soda, and one tablespoon ginger. Mix in order given.
Add flour until dough is soft.
Shape and bake
Roll dough out about one inch thick on baking sheets.
Bake about one-half hour in moderate oven.
It should be crisp when new.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| 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 + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Butter + gingertop 26% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,152 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Molasses + buttertop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,123 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
- Adds sweetness, moisture, dark color and a chewy, browned finish.
- Soda
- Reacts with the molasses acid to lighten the dough and help it rise.
- Butter and lard
- Add fat that tenderizes the dough and carries flavor.
- Flour (in the method)
- Builds the structure that holds the dough together as it bakes.
- Ginger
- Provides the warm, spicy aroma that defines the gingerbread.
The step that matters
Bake until crisp. Molasses sugars darken quickly and can scorch, while the gingerbread firms as it cools. Judge doneness by firmness as well as color so the cookies come out crisp rather than burnt or soft.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, butter):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Clovefits about as well
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, butter. 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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