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 ↓
Cranberry Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Combine one cup cranberries, one cup sugar, and a large tablespoon of flour in a bowl.
Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla and a little salt.
Pour one-half cup hot water over the mixture.
Add a piece of butter the size of an egg.
Bake
Bake with two crusts.
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
- Cranberries
- Provide the tart, acidic fruit flavour that the sweetness balances.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and draws moisture out of the cranberries to form syrup.
- Flour
- Starch thickens the juices into a filling that holds its shape when sliced.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat for richness and a softer mouthfeel in the filling.
The step that matters
Pour the hot water over the mixture. Flour clumps if liquid reaches it before it is evenly mixed with the sugar and fruit, so stir as the water goes in. Starch granules swell and thicken the juices as the filling heats.
“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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