Why it works: Corn and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,955 recipes. Both carry hexanal, which smells green, grassy. The science ↓
Spanish Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Make the cream
Combine one quart cream, 4 tablespoonfuls corn starch, and 6 tablespoonfuls milk.
Sweeten to taste. Flavor with sherry.
Cook in double boiler until thick.
Assemble and serve
Line the bottom of a pudding dish with ½ pound of macaroons that have been dipped in sherry.
Sprinkle over them ½ pound of candied cherries cut in half, or canned ones strained dry.
When the cream is cold, pour it over the macaroons and cherries.
Serve very cold.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
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.
-
Corn + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,955 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
-
Cream + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cream + corntop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cream
- Forms the rich body of the custard as it thickens and sets when cooled.
- Corn starch
- Thickens the cream on heating, giving the custard its firm, sliceable texture.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and dilutes the cream slightly, keeping the custard smooth rather than heavy.
- Macaroons (in the method)
- Soak up sherry and soften, adding a chewy, aromatic layer beneath the custard.
- Candied cherries (in the method)
- Add sweetness and a bright fruity flavor and color against the custard.
The step that matters
Cook in double boiler until thick. Cornstarch only thickens fully when heated gently to a simmer while stirred, and scorching or lumps can form if the heat is too high. The cream must thicken before it is chilled, since it sets as it cools.
“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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