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 ↓
Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Scald the molasses in a saucepan, then remove from heat.
Add the butter, sugar, ginger, and salt to the molasses and mix well.
Once cool, stir in the water.
Sift the baking soda into about 3 cups of flour and add it to the mixture.
Use the remaining cup of flour as needed to achieve the right consistency.
Roll and bake
Roll out a portion of the dough on a floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) until done, being careful not to burn.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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 + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Molasses + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Ginger + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,564 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and deep flavor, and its acidity reacts with the baking soda.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses acid to release gas, helping the cookies rise and spread.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the dough together and sets as it bakes.
- Butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and a richer texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the cookies brown as they bake.
- Ginger
- Provides the warm, spicy aroma that defines the cookie.
The step that matters
Bake until done without burning. Molasses and sugar caramelize and darken quickly at oven heat, so the cookies can scorch before the centre is set. Watch closely near the end of baking.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, butter, sugar, flour):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Jalapenofits better
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, butter, sugar, flour. 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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