Why it works: Nutmeg and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a good 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, mix molasses, nutmeg, shortening, cloves, cinnamon, and baking soda dissolved in a little hot water.
Add milk and the beaten egg, then gradually incorporate flour until a stiff batter forms.
Shape and bake
Roll the dough very thin and cut into desired shapes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) until nicely browned.
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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Nutmeg + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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Nutmeg + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,686 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Nutmeg + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Cinnamon + flourtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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 a dark color to the dough.
- Shortening
- Provides fat for tenderness and a short texture in the cookies.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with molasses to lighten the dough and aid browning.
- Egg
- Binds the dough and adds structure as it sets in the oven.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that turns the mixture into a stiff dough.
The step that matters
Roll the dough very thin. Thin dough bakes through quickly and crisps, while thick dough stays soft in the middle and can burn at the edges before it sets.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, egg, flour):
- Cardamomfits about as well
- Allspicefits about as well
- Clovethe original
- Gingerfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon, milk, egg, 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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