Why it works: Wheat and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,418 recipes. Both carry (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, melon. The science ↓
Steamed Date Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the batter
Sift together one cup whole wheat flour, one-half cup white flour, one-half teaspoon salt, and one teaspoon soda.
Beat one egg.
Add half cup molasses, half cup milk, one-quarter cup melted shortening, and one cup dates (stoned and cut into small pieces). Add a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix all thoroughly and pour into a buttered mold.
Steam and serve
Steam for two and a half hours.
Serve hot with a sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Date | 1 date (24g) medjool | 66 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
-
Wheat + milktop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,418 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
-
Wheat + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,373 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Wheat + datestop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together69 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + datestop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together470 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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
- Whole wheat flour
- Provides the main structure and a firm, slightly nutty body to the pudding.
- White flour
- Lightens the texture of the pudding while still adding structure.
- Soda
- Reacts with the molasses to help the pudding rise and become light.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, dark color, and a moist, rich flavor.
- Egg
- Binds the batter and adds structure as it sets during steaming.
- Dates
- Add natural sweetness, chewy pieces, and moisture to the pudding.
The step that matters
Steam for two and a half hours. Steaming gently and steadily cooks the batter through without drying it. Letting the water boil dry or lifting the lid often can cause uneven cooking and a dense, soggy or dry pudding.
Swap the dates
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (wheat, flour, molasses, milk, egg):
- Raisinfits better
- Vanillafits better
- Figfits better
- Datesthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against wheat, flour, molasses, milk, egg. 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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