Why it works: Sugar and molasses 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 syrup
In a saucepan, boil the butter, sugar, vinegar, and molasses until it reaches a hard snap stage.
Stir continuously to prevent burning.
Remove from heat and add baking soda and flavoring to taste.
Set and shape
Butter a tin and pour the syrup in a thin layer.
When nearly cold, cut into desired shapes with a sharp knife.
Wrap each piece in waxed paper.
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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Sugar + molassestop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Butter + vinegartop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,513 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).
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Vinegar + molassestop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,253 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
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth, tender bite to the candy.
- Sugar
- Forms the candy base and sets into a brittle, glassy texture as it cooks.
- Vinegar
- Adds a little acidity that helps keep the sugar smooth rather than grainy.
- Molasses
- Adds deep flavor and color and contributes to the candy's chewy-brittle character.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the hot syrup to create bubbles that lighten the texture.
The step that matters
Stir continuously while the syrup boils. Sugar syrup scorches quickly on the hot pan bottom, and constant stirring spreads the heat evenly. Scorched sugar turns bitter and dark, so the candy can taste burnt.
“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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