Why it works: Molasses and sugar 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 ↓
Butter Scotch
Ingredients
Directions
Make the candy
Combine molasses, sugar, and butter in a saucepan.
Boil the mixture until it becomes brittle when dropped in cold water.
Set and cut
Pour the hot mixture into well-buttered pans.
Allow to cool before cutting.
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 + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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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
- New orleans molasses
- Adds deep flavour and colour, and contributes to the brittle texture when cooked.
- Sugar
- Provides sweetness and, as it boils and cools, sets into a hard, brittle candy.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, giving the candy a smoother, less harsh bite.
The step that matters
Boiling until brittle. Sugar candy sets according to how far its water has boiled off. Stopping too early leaves a soft, sticky result, while cooking too long can scorch the sugars and taste bitter. Testing by dropping a little into cold water shows when it has reached the hard-crack stage.
“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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