Why it works: Condensed milk and evaporated milk match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 168 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Chocolate Walnut Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Heat oven to 350 °F.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Add cocoa and stir until smooth.
Stir in sweetened condensed milk, water and eggs; beat with a whisk until well blended.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, maple flavor and walnuts.
Bake and serve
Pour into pastry shell.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set.
Cool slightly.
Serve warm or cold.
Garnish as desired.
Refrigerate leftover pie.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Maple Syrup | 1 tbsp (20ml) | 52 |
| Walnut | 1 walnut half (4g) | 26 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Pie Crust | 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.
-
Condensed milk + evaporated milktop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together168 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Cocoa + vanillatop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together357 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
-
Vanilla + walnuttop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,730 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Butter + vanillatop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,050 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Butter + walnuttop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,832 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Bind the filling and help it set into a sliceable custard when baked.
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Provides sweetness and a creamy, thick body to the filling.
- Butter
- Adds richness and smooth mouthfeel to the chocolate filling.
- Cocoa
- Supplies the chocolate flavor and deep color of the filling.
- Walnuts
- Add crunch and a toasty, nutty contrast to the soft filling.
The step that matters
Bake until the center is set. Eggs set as they heat; pulling the pie too early leaves a runny center, while overbaking can make the custard grainy, cracked and dry. The center should barely wobble and firm as it cools.
Swap the cocoa
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, condensed milk, evaporated milk, egg, vanilla, walnut):
- Almondfits better
- Pecansfits better
- Pistachiofits better
- Cocoathe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, condensed milk, evaporated milk, egg, vanilla, walnut. 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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