Name: "Wherever a Recipe Calls for Gelatine--think of Knox"
Ingredients: 50 cup pkg; 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon mace 1 egg beaten 1/2 cup hebe diluted; 1/2 teaspoon mace 1 egg beaten 1/2 cup hebe diluted; 1/2 cup hebe diluted; 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup molasses sift flour; 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup molasses sift flour; 1/2 cup molasses sift flour; 1 package 55c; 2 packages $1; 88 broad street; 2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon; 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon mace 1 egg be; 1 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon soda 1/2 teaspoon mace 1 egg beaten 1/2 cup hebe; 1 egg beaten 1/2 cup hebe diluted; 2 tablespoons water 1 cup seedless raisins 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 1/; 1 cup seedless raisins 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2; 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup molasses sift fl; 3 tops; 2 central square cambridge; one dollar to any one sending us the above set of six numbers; six numbers; 6 numbers; 42 meals

Why it works: Syrup and molasses work together. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 272 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓

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.

Syrup + molassestop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together272 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Corn + gingertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together412 recipes

Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
Mace + gingertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,152 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together124,287 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Corn + flourtop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,165 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Butter and flour 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 batter together as it bakes.
Molasses: Adds sweetness, moisture, dark colour and a deep, rich flavour.
Corn syrup: Adds sweetness and moisture, helping the gingerbread stay soft.
Egg: Binds the batter and helps set its structure as it bakes.
Soda: Reacts with the acidic molasses to produce gas that lifts the batter.
Butter: Adds fat for tenderness and a rich mouthfeel.

The step that matters

Cool the melted mixture slightly before adding the egg. If the hot liquid is added straight to the beaten egg, the egg can partly scramble and cause lumps. Cooling it slightly keeps the egg smooth so it blends evenly into the batter.

Swap the mace

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, butter, corn, syrup, molasses, flour, ginger):

Cinnamonfits better
Nutmegfits better
Cardamomfits better
Macethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against egg, butter, corn, syrup, molasses, flour, ginger. 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Corn	1/2 cup kernels (82g)	77
Grape	1/2 cup (76g)	62
Molasses	1 tbsp (20g)	58
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Ginger	1 tsp grated fresh (2g)	2
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Mace	not in our table	0
Syrup	not in our table	0
Water	not in our table	0

"Wherever a Recipe Calls for Gelatine--think of Knox"