Why it works: Apple and cinnamon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and 5,598 recipes mention both. Both carry methyl cinnamate, which smells strawberry. The science ↓
Jellied Apples
Ingredients
Directions
Make the jellied apples
Layer the sliced apples in a pudding dish, alternating with brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Once the dish is filled, pour ½ cup of water over the top.
Cover with a buttered plate and cook slowly for 3 hours.
Cool and serve
After cooking, set the dish in a cold place to cool.
When ready, turn the jellied apples out into a glass dish.
Whip the cream until stiff and pile it around the jellied apples.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Apple + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together5,598 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Apple + sugartop 18% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together16,478 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Apple + creamtop 27% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together3,089 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Sugar and cinnamon share little aroma chemistry, yet 30,779 recipes mention both: they likely 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
- Apples
- Slow cooking softens them and releases natural pectin, which helps the mass set as it cools.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and a deep, caramel-like flavour as it cooks down with the apples.
- Cinnamon
- Adds warm aroma and spice that complements the apples.
- Cream
- Adds richness and a light, airy texture when whipped to pile around the apples.
The step that matters
Cook slowly and covered for 3 hours. Gentle, long cooking breaks down the apples so their pectin is released. Cooling in a cold place then lets the mixture firm into a jelly-like set, so rushing or overheating can leave it loose or scorched.
“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.
You might also like
Apple Pudding256 recipes
Apple Cake80 recipes
Apple Meringue75 recipes
Cinnamon Rolls71 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.