Why it works: Molasses and ginger are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,116 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Soft Cincer Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare
Pour boiling water over the baking soda and stir until dissolved.
In a large bowl, combine the molasses, melted lard, and ginger.
Add the soda mixture to the bowl and mix well.
Shape and bake
Do not knead the dough too stiff.
Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) until set.
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 + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 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 sweetness, moisture, and a deep flavor with a chewy texture.
- Lard
- Provides fat that keeps the cookies tender and adds richness.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses acidity to lighten the dough and promote browning.
- Ginger
- Contributes the warm, spicy aroma that defines the cookie.
The step that matters
Dissolve the baking soda fully before mixing. Stirring the soda into boiling water until dissolved spreads it evenly through the dough. Undissolved soda can leave bitter pockets and uneven rising.
“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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