Why it works: Sugar and brandy are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,939 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Damson Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Remove the damsons from their stalks and leaves.
Place them in a jar and cover with white paper.
Bake in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C) until soft.
While hot, rub the damsons through a colander to extract the pulp and juice.
In a saucepan, combine the pulp and juice with fine powdered sugar to taste.
Boil over moderate heat at 350°F (175°C) for about 3 hours, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
A few minutes before removing from heat, add the damson kernels and mix well.
Pour the mixture into cups or molds and let it sit for a day.
Cut pieces of writing paper to fit the tops of the cups, dip them in brandy, and place them on top.
Store in a dry place; it will keep for several years.
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 + brandytop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar and brandy barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 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
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Brandy Peaches68 recipes
Brandy Cream21 recipes
Brandy Pudding13 recipes
White Cake431 recipes