Why it works: Butter and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Old Time Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a rather slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Dissolve baking soda in hot water.
In a bowl, mix molasses and melted lard or butter.
Add the dissolved baking soda and stir well.
Gradually add flour until a dough forms.
Make the dough in the evening and refrigerate overnight.
Shape and bake
In the morning, add more flour if needed.
Roll the dough thin and cut into shapes.
Bake in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C) until done.
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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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Molasses + flourtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Molasses + buttertop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,123 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
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 to the dough.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses to lighten the dough and help the cookies rise and spread.
- Lard or butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and a short, crisp texture.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the dough together and sets during baking.
The step that matters
Add the dissolved baking soda and stir well. Baking soda must be evenly mixed into the molasses, or pockets of alkali can leave soapy taste and uneven rising and color.
“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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