Name: Dumplings and Puddings
Ingredients: 1 small pinch of salt; ¾ ounce of isinglass or gelatine; 5 ounces of powdered sugar; ½ pint of rich cream; 5 egg yolks; 2 ounces of citron, cut in thin strips; 2 ounces of candied cherries; Butter for greasing the mold; Fruit syrup for serving

Why it works: Sugar and syrup match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,842 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓

Dumplings and Puddings

Ingredients

Directions

Make the custard

Dissolve the isinglass or gelatine in a small amount of water and strain through muslin into a clean saucepan.
Add the powdered sugar and rich cream, then bring to a boil while stirring briskly.
Gradually add the well-beaten egg yolks and thicken the mixture over low heat, being careful not to overheat.
Pour the mixture into a basin and flavor with orange-flower water or vanilla.
Stir until nearly cold, then fold in the citron and candied cherries.

Set and serve

Pour the mixture into a buttered mold and refrigerate until set.
Serve with any kind of fruit syrup.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Sugar + syruptop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,842 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,516 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together43,450 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Cream + syruptop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,964 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together118,967 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Isinglass or gelatine: Sets the cooled custard into a firm, sliceable pudding.
Egg yolks: Thicken the cream mixture and add richness and a smooth texture.
Rich cream: Adds fat and creaminess, giving the pudding a soft, rich texture.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the custard and helps soften its set texture.
Candied cherries: Add chewy pieces of sweetness and fruit flavor throughout the pudding.

The step that matters

Gradually add the egg yolks and thicken over low heat. Egg yolks scramble if they meet hot liquid too quickly or get overheated, leaving lumps and a grainy texture. Adding them slowly and keeping the heat low lets the custard thicken smoothly.

“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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Dumplings and Puddings