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 ↓
Molasses 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.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, mix together the molasses and shortening until well combined.
Dissolve the baking soda in half of the hot water and add it to the mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine the alum, cream of tartar, and the remaining hot water.
Add this mixture to the molasses mixture and stir until smooth.
Bake
Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until golden brown.
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.
-
Molasses + gingertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,116 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Molasses + creamtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,408 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Ginger + creamtop 29% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,137 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, dark color and a moist, chewy texture.
- Shortening
- Provides fat for tenderness and a soft crumb.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic molasses to release gas, helping the cookies rise and spread.
- Cream of tartar
- Adds acidity that works with the baking soda to lighten the dough.
The step that matters
Dissolving the baking soda in hot water before adding it. Baking soda must be fully dissolved and evenly distributed so it reacts with the acidic molasses throughout the dough. Uneven distribution causes patches that rise too much or taste bitter or soapy.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, cream):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Gingerthe original
- Clovefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, cream. 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.
More molasses cookies recipes
You might also like
Ginger Cookies213 recipes
Ginger Cake93 recipes
Molasses Cake90 recipes
Soft Ginger Bread85 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.