Why it works: Raisin and flour match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Homestead Raisin Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Add raisins to water in saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.
Beat egg yolks, sugar, vinegar and flour until light and creamy.
Slowly add the mixture to the raisins.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in butter.
Cool until lukewarm.
Bake the pie
Pour raisin mixture into pie shell.
Top with well beaten egg whites.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 8 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Pie | not in our table | 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.
-
Raisin + flourtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Raisin + sugartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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
- Raisins
- Provide the main filling body and sweet, chewy fruit texture.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the filling as it cooks and add richness.
- Egg whites
- Form a light, lofty topping that sets and browns in the oven.
- Flour
- Helps thicken the filling so it holds its shape when sliced.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps balance the vinegar's tartness.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth, tender mouthfeel to the filling.
The step that matters
Slowly add the mixture to the raisins. Adding the egg mixture gradually while the raisins are hot, then stirring constantly, keeps the eggs from scrambling and lets the starch and yolks thicken the filling evenly.
Swap the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, sugar, vinegar, flour, butter):
- Raisinthe original
- Vanillafits about as well
- Figfits less well
- Lemonfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, sugar, vinegar, flour, butter. 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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