Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Economical Plum Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the batter
Combine two pints of flour, two teacupfuls of raisins, two of suet chopped fine, three of buttermilk, two of molasses, and two teaspoons of soda. (Optional: add more fruit for improved flavor.)
Cook and serve
Boil or steam for four hours.
Serve with sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
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.
-
Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Tea + raisintop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together64 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Flour + teatop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together449 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Provides the main structure that holds the pudding together as it cooks.
- Raisins
- Add pockets of concentrated sweetness and chewy texture throughout the pudding.
- Suet (in the method)
- Adds fat that keeps the pudding tender and rich as it cooks.
- Buttermilk (in the method)
- Adds moisture and acidity that reacts with the soda to help the pudding rise.
- Molasses (in the method)
- Adds sweetness, moisture, and a deep brown color and flavor.
- Soda
- Reacts with the acidic buttermilk and molasses to produce gas that lightens the pudding.
The step that matters
Keep the long steaming or boiling steady for the full four hours. Long, moist, gentle heat is what cooks the batter through and sets its crumb. Cutting the time short leaves the center gummy and dense, and letting the cooking water boil away or stop simmering can leave the pudding unevenly cooked.
“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.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.