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 Ginger 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 baking soda and stir until dissolved.
In a large bowl, combine molasses, melted lard, and ginger.
Add the soda mixture to the bowl and mix until combined.
Bake
Do not knead too stiff; drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.
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.
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 + 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
- New orleans molasses
- Provides sweetness, dark color, and moisture that keeps the cookies soft.
- Melted lard
- Adds fat for a tender texture and rich flavor.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses's acidity to lift and soften the cookies as they bake.
The step that matters
Do not knead too stiff; drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.. Overworking the dough develops gluten and makes the cookies tough and dense. Keeping the dough soft and dropping it by spoonfuls lets the cookies spread and stay tender.
“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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