Why it works: Cream and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Boiled Custard
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Put the half gallon of morning's milk into a kettle and bring it merely to a boil.
Strain the milk through a fine towel onto the beaten eggs and sugar, stirring rapidly.
Cook the custard
Scour the kettle nicely and return the custard to the fire.
Let it stay a few minutes, or until it scarcely boils, stirring gently to prevent burning.
Cool and finish
Pour into a bowl and dip it up with a large ladle, pouring it up and down, until nearly cold.
Froth the pint of rich cream and put it over the top.
Season all with vanilla.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| 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.
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Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Milk + coffeetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,202 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-heptenal (creamy, biscuit).
-
Cream + coffeetop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,339 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
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Coffee + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,344 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base that thickens into custard when heated with the eggs.
- Eggs
- Thicken the custard as their proteins set with gentle heat.
- Cream
- Adds richness and a smooth, velvety mouthfeel from its fat.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and balances the richness of the milk and eggs.
The step that matters
Heat gently and stir until it just scarcely boils. Egg proteins set at moderate heat, but overheating can make the custard curdle or grainy. Milk also scorches easily on the bottom of the kettle, so constant gentle stirring keeps the heat even and the custard smooth.
“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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