Why it works: Flour and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Custard Tarts
Ingredients
Directions
Make the pastry
Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a mixing bowl.
Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
Mix in enough water to form a dough ball.
Cut the dough in half.
Roll out each half on a lightly floured surface until 1/8 inch thick.
Cut 12 circles from each half, 3 inches in diameter.
Fit pastry circles into greased muffin cups, pressing sides so they reach the rims.
Make the custard
Beat eggs.
Stir in sugar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Gradually blend in milk.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the egg mixture into each pastry.
Bake and cool
Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°C) oven until a knife inserted in the center of the custards comes out clean (25 to 30 minutes).
Remove tarts from the pan.
Cool on wire racks.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| 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.
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.
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the structure of the pastry that holds the custard.
- Vegetable shortening
- Creates a tender, flaky pastry by coating flour particles and limiting gluten.
- Eggs
- Set the custard and give it body as they cook.
- Milk
- Provides liquid and richness that gives the custard a soft, creamy texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the custard brown lightly at the surface.
The step that matters
Bake until the custard is set. Eggs set as their proteins coagulate with heat. Underbaking leaves the custard runny, while overbaking makes it grainy and watery, so check with a knife in the center.
“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
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.