Name: Lemon Pudding Sauce
Ingredients: 4 tsp cornstarch (try 2 tbsp); 1 cup water; peel of 1 lemon, grated; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1 egg; 2 tsp margarine or butter; 8 tsp sugar, aspertame substitute

Why it works: Lemon and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,227 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Lemon Pudding Sauce

Ingredients

Directions

Combine cornstarch, water, lemon peel, and lemon juice in a small heavy saucepan.
Beat in egg.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and clear.
Stir in margarine and sweetener.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

696Calories

20 gProtein

18 gFat

112 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Water	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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Lemon + buttertop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,227 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together118,967 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together98,233 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Lemon + sugartop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together53,532 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together44,316 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

Lemon and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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

Cornstarch: Thickens the liquid into a smooth sauce as it heats and gelatinizes.
Egg: Adds richness and helps thicken the sauce as it cooks.
Lemon juice: Provides the sharp acidity that gives the sauce its lemon flavour.
Margarine or butter: Adds fat for a smoother, richer mouthfeel and flavour.
Sugar: Adds sweetness to balance the lemon's acidity.

The step that matters

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and clear. Cornstarch needs to reach a simmer while being stirred to thicken evenly; stopping stirring or heating too fast can cause lumps or scorching on the pan bottom.

Swap the lemon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, butter, sugar):

Vanillafits better
Lemonthe original
Raisinfits about as well
Figfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against egg, butter, sugar. 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.

Lemon Cake228 recipes

Lemon Ice147 recipes

Lemon Sherbet103 recipes

Lemon Custard64 recipes

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Lemon Pudding Sauce