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 ↓
Old Fashioned Molasses Candy
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and boil
Brush the kettle with butter before putting ingredients in.
Combine 2 cups molasses, 2 cups granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter in the kettle.
Boil over a not too hot fire until a little will harden as soon as it drops into cold water.
Pour and pull
Pour into buttered tins and pull when cool enough to handle.
Optionally press hickory nut or black walnut meats into the candy when partly cooled, without pulling.
Ingredient notes
Use good flavored molasses; the real Porto Rico is best.
Do not add soda to the syrup.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
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
- Molasses
- Provides the main flavor, dark color, and chewy moisture in the candy.
- Granulated sugar
- Adds sweetness and, once boiled, sets the syrup into a firm candy.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and helps keep the candy from sticking to the kettle and tins.
The step that matters
Boiling the syrup to the right stage. The syrup's final sugar concentration sets the candy's texture. Underboiled syrup stays soft and sticky, while overboiled syrup turns brittle and hard. Heating over a not too hot fire lets the water evaporate gradually and helps prevent scorching.
“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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