Name: Kentucky Derby Pie with Walnuts
Ingredients: 2 unbaked pie shells; 1½ cups sugar; 6 tablespoons flour; 6 eggs, beaten by hand; 1½ cups butter, melted; ⅓ cup bourbon whiskey; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1½ cups chocolate chips, stir in; 1½ cups walnuts, chopped

Why it works: Vanilla and chocolate are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,020 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓

Kentucky Derby Pie with Walnuts

Oven350°F

Time30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Combine ingredients and pour into two unbaked pie shells.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

910Calories

21 gProtein

29 gFat

126 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Chocolate	1 oz (28g) semisweet	155
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Bourbon Whiskey	1/2 oz (15ml)	33
Walnut	1 walnut half (4g)	26
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Pie	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.

Vanilla + chocolatetop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together10,020 recipes

Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together35,032 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Vanilla + walnuttop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,730 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Chocolate + walnuttop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,548 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together124,287 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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

Eggs: Bind the filling and set it into a custard-like texture as they bake.
Butter: Adds richness and fat, giving the filling a tender, smooth mouthfeel.
Flour: Thickens the filling so it holds its shape rather than running loose.
Sugar: Sweetens the filling and helps it brown on the surface as it bakes.
Chocolate chips: Melt during baking to add pockets of sweet, rich chocolate throughout the filling.
Walnuts: Add crunch and a toasty, nutty flavor that contrasts with the soft filling.

Swap the walnut

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

Almondfits better
Hazelnutfits better
Macadamia nutfits better
Walnutthe original

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