Why it works: Almond and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,245 recipes. Both carry 2,3-pentanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Bakewell Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the pastry
Preheat oven to 200 °C / 400 °F / Gas 6.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and use it to line a 900 ml (1 pint) shallow pie dish. Knock up the edge of the pastry with the back of a knife.
Mark the rim with the prongs of a fork.
Brush the jam over the base.
Chill in the refrigerator while making the filling.
Make the filling and bake
Beat the almonds with the sugar, butter, eggs and almond essence.
Pour the filling over the jam and spread it evenly.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is set.
Serve
Serve warm or cold with fresh cream or custard.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Almond | 1 almond (1.2g) | 7 |
| Pastry | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Almond + buttertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,245 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Almond + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Puff pastry
- Forms the crisp, flaky case that holds the filling.
- Red jam
- Adds sweetness and fruity flavour beneath the almond layer.
- Ground almonds
- Provide the body and nutty flavour of the filling.
- Eggs
- Bind the filling and help it set firm when baked.
- Butter
- Adds richness and tenderness to the almond filling.
- Caster sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps it brown lightly in the oven.
The step that matters
Bake until the filling is set. Underbaked egg and almond filling stays wet and sticky in the centre, while overbaking makes the eggs tough and dry. The filling should be firm to the touch, with the pastry golden.
Swap the almond
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, butter, egg):
- Almondthe original
- Pecansfits about as well
- Filbertfits less well
- Walnutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, butter, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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