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 ↓
Ginger Snaps
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make and shape the dough
In a bowl, combine molasses, butter, lard, baking soda dissolved in a little hot water, ginger, and cold water. Mix until soft and well combined.
Roll the dough thin and cut into desired shapes.
Bake
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until crisp.
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 + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Butter + gingertop 26% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,152 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
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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
- New orleans molasses
- Provides the main sweetness, dark color and rich flavor of the cookie.
- Butter
- Adds fat for tender texture and rich flavor.
- Lard
- Adds fat that helps keep the cookies tender and crisp.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic molasses to lighten the dough and promote browning.
- Ginger
- Supplies the spicy aroma that defines the cookie.
The step that matters
Baking time and crispness. Baking soda dissolved in hot water and cold water must be evenly mixed so the dough rises and browns evenly. Pulling the cookies once they are crisp keeps them from over-darkening or turning bitter from the molasses sugars.
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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