Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Gene Autry's Peanut Butter Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Cream together peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar.
Stir in the butter, whipped cream and vanilla.
Pour into graham cracker crust.
Chill and top
Chill 4 to 5 hours or until well set.
Top with heated, thinned hot fudge.
Chill again for 30 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 10 ingredients. The other 3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut | 1 oz (28g) | 161 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Cracker | 5 saltine crackers (15g) | 66 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Pie Crust | not in our table | 0 |
| Fudge | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | 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.
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + cream cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,747 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Cream + saucetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,787 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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
- Peanut butter
- Provides the main flavor and body of the filling.
- Cream cheese
- Adds richness and helps the filling set firm.
- Whipping cream
- Adds air and lightness, giving the filling a smoother, softer texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps it hold together when creamed.
- Melted butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Chill until well set. The filling relies on chilling to firm up. Cutting too early can cause it to slump, so allow the full 4 to 5 hours or until it is well set before serving.
Swap the peanut
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cream cheese, sugar, cream, vanilla, sauce):
- Almondfits better
- Pecansfits about as well
- Pistachiofits about as well
- Peanutthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cream cheese, sugar, cream, vanilla, sauce. 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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