Why it works: Sugar and nuts are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 25% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,228 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Cocoanut Balls
Ingredients
Directions
Make the syrup
Peel and grate four nuts by hand, not on a patent grater.
Add to each nut half a pound of sugar and one teacup of water.
Boil this mixture into a thick syrup, then pour it over the grated nuts.
Shape and dry
When cool enough to handle, shape into walnut-sized balls and place on plates or panes of glass to dry.
Keep them in a warm place for several days, turning occasionally.
Place a dry cloth under them to dry quicker.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Walnut | 1 walnut half (4g) | 26 |
| 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Sugar + nutstop 25% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,228 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Boiled into a thick syrup, it sweetens the balls and sets firm as they dry.
- Nuts
- Grated flesh absorbs the syrup and forms the bulk and texture of each ball.
The step that matters
Boiling the syrup to a thick consistency. Sugar syrup firms as its concentration rises and water evaporates. If it is too thin the balls will not hold their shape, and if it is overcooked they may become hard or brittle.
“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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