Why it works: Cream and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Quaking Puddings Second Way
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Beat the egg yolks and whites very well and strain through a fine sieve.
Mix the flour with 1-2 tablespoons of cream until smooth.
Combine all ingredients and tie tightly in a buttered and floured dish or basin.
Boil and serve
Ensure the water is boiling before adding the pudding.
Boil for 1 hour and serve with wine sauce.
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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Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Flour + buttertop 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).
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Cream + flourtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
Flour and butter 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
- Eggs
- Egg proteins set on heating, giving the pudding its firm, sliceable body.
- Cream
- Adds fat and moisture, giving the pudding a rich, soft texture.
- Flour
- Thickens the mixture and adds structure so it holds together when boiled.
The step that matters
Ensure the water is boiling before adding the pudding. Egg and flour mixtures set through heat. Starting in boiling water sets the outside promptly and helps the pudding cook evenly rather than becoming dense or watery.
“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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