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 ↓
Grandma's Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a bowl, combine brown sugar, molasses, and baking soda.
Add boiling water and mix well.
Stir in powdered alum, lard, and butter until soft.
Bake
Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) until done.
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).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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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
- Molasses
- Adds moisture, deep flavor, and browning to the cookies.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with molasses acids to release gas, helping the cookies rise and spread.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and moisture, and helps the cookies brown.
- Butter
- Adds fat for flavor and a tender texture.
- Lard
- Adds fat that keeps the cookies soft and tender.
The step that matters
Combine the baking soda with the molasses. Baking soda reacts with the acids in molasses to release carbon dioxide, which lifts the dough. Too much soda leaves a soapy, bitter taste, so measure it carefully and mix it in evenly.
“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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