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
Combine butter, molasses, sugar, and baking soda in a saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches a soft ball stage.
Test the candy by wetting your finger in water, dipping it into the candy, then back into the water.
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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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Butter + molassestop 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
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, giving the candy a smooth texture and buttery flavour.
- Molasses
- Provides dark colour, deep flavour, and moisture that shapes the candy's texture.
- Sugar
- Provides sweetness and forms the crystal structure that sets the candy as it cools.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses' acidity, lightening the candy's colour and texture.
The step that matters
Cooking to the soft ball stage. Sugar syrup hardens as its water boils off and its temperature rises. Stopping at the soft ball stage controls the final texture, while stirring constantly prevents scorching and crystallisation.
“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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