Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Buckeye Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a bowl, combine the egg, molasses, cold water, flour, raisins, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Pour the mixture into a greased pudding mold.
Steam and serve
Steam for 1½ hours 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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Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Raisin + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,390 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Molasses + cinnamontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,928 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Molasses + raisintop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,577 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
- Egg
- Binds the batter and helps it set firm as it steams.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the pudding together.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses to lighten the pudding and help it rise.
- Molasses
- Adds dark color, moisture, and a deep, sweet flavor.
- Raisins
- Add chewy texture and pockets of concentrated sweetness.
The step that matters
Steam until set. Steaming gently and for the full time lets the egg and flour set the batter into a firm, cohesive pudding. Lifting the lid often lets steam escape and cools the mold, which can leave the centre dense or wet.
“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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