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 ↓
Frangipane Ou Creme Pâtissière
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, combine 4 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs.
Add enough flour to create a thick paste.
Gradually mix in 1 liter of water until smooth.
Place the mixture over heat and stir continuously until it boils.
Add 125 grams of butter and mix until melted.
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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Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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
- Egg yolks
- Emulsify and thicken the mixture as they set with heat, giving a rich, creamy body.
- Whole eggs
- Add structure and thickening as their proteins set, supporting a smooth texture.
- Flour
- Thickens the liquid into a paste and helps the cream hold its body when boiled.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smooth, glossy texture and rich flavor.
The step that matters
Boiling the mixture while stirring continuously. Starch from the flour needs to reach a boil to fully gelatinize and thicken. Constant stirring prevents lumps and keeps the eggs from scorching on the bottom of the pan.
“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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