Name: Chocolate Caramels
Ingredients: 1 cup grated chocolate; 1 cup molasses; 1 cup brown sugar; 2 tablespoons butter

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 ↓

Chocolate Caramels

Ingredients

1 cup grated chocolate
1 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

In a saucepan, combine molasses, brown sugar, and butter.
Cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
Test the mixture by dropping a small amount into cold water; it should form a soft ball when ready.
Once done, pour the mixture onto buttered pans to cool.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together9,225 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Chocolate + sugartop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,404 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Chocolate + buttertop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together10,543 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together98,233 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Chocolate + molassestop 22% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together618 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).