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 ↓
Butter Scotch
Ingredients
Directions
Make the butter scotch
In a saucepan, combine molasses, sugar, water, and butter.
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Add a pinch of baking soda before removing from heat.
Serve
Allow to cool slightly before serving.
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.
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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Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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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 deep, rich flavour and a dark colour to the sauce.
- Sugar
- Provides sweetness and dissolves to form the body of the syrup.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smooth, rich texture and a buttery flavour.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidity of molasses, lightening colour and softening the texture.
The step that matters
Add a pinch of baking soda before removing from heat. Baking soda reacts vigorously with the acids in molasses and foams up. Adding it while the mixture is still on the heat lets the reaction settle before the sauce is taken off, and avoids overflow and uneven texture.
“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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