Why it works: Almond and pine match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 176 recipes. Both carry 2,3-pentanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
German Custard
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Add the pounded almonds and pine nuts (or peanuts) to the boiled custard.
Stir in the candied citron slips.
Cook the custard as usual.
Chill and serve
Chill the custard in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.
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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Almond + pinetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together176 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rich boiled custard
- Forms the creamy base and sets as it cools and thickens.
- Sweet almonds
- Adds nutty flavor and a fine, slightly firm texture to the custard.
- Pine nuts or blanched peanuts
- Adds a toasted, nutty flavor and a bit of crunch.
- Candied citron
- Adds sweetness and a bright, fragrant citrus aroma.
The step that matters
Cook the custard as usual. Custard is thickened by egg proteins, which can curdle and turn grainy if the mixture overheats. Cooking gently and stopping at the right thickness keeps it smooth.
“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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