Why it works: Sugar and cream 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 ↓
Charlotte Russe
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Dissolve one ounce of gelatin in a pint of boiling water (Cox's is best) until thoroughly dissolved.
Beat the yolks of four eggs.
Pour the gelatin over the yolks, stirring quickly.
Pour both through a strainer over half a pound of sugar.
Stir until cool and about to congeal.
Finish
Fold in whipped cream from a quart of rich cream.
Season to taste while the custard is cooling.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| 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 + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cream and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 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
- Gelatin
- Sets the liquid into a light, sliceable structure as it cools and congeals.
- Eggs
- Yolks thicken and enrich the custard, adding richness and a smooth texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the custard and balances the richness of the cream and yolks.
- Rich cream
- Whipped and folded in, it adds lightness, moisture and a creamy texture.
The step that matters
Stir until cool and about to congeal. Folding the cream in too early, or after the gelatin has set, makes the mixture lumpy or dense. Stirring until it is cool and just beginning to thicken gives a smooth, evenly airy result once the whipped cream is folded in.
“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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