Why it works: Sugar and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 92,116 recipes. Both carry phenylacetaldehyde, which smells hawthorne, honey. The science ↓
Yinegar Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Combine one cup sugar, one-half cup vinegar, two teaspoons flour, one cup butter, one cup cinnamon, and two cups water.
Boil all together until thick.
Bake
Bake as you would a custard pie.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| 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.
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.
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness to balance the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Vinegar (in the method)
- Provides the sharp acidity that defines the flavor of the pie.
- Flour
- Thickens the liquid as its starch sets during boiling.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat for richness and a smoother texture.
The step that matters
Boil all together until thick. Flour thickens only when its starch is fully heated in liquid, so stopping early leaves the filling runny. Keep it boiling and stir until it visibly thickens before baking, so the filling sets properly.
“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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