Why it works: Milk and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Queen of Puddings
Ingredients
Directions
Make the pudding
Combine and mix one pint of fine bread crumbs, one quart of milk, one cup of sugar, beaten yolks of four eggs, grated rind of a lemon, and a piece of butter the size of an egg.
Bake until done, but not watery.
Make the topping
Whip the whites of the eggs stiff.
Beat in a teacup of sugar.
Strain the juice of the lemon.
Top and bake
Spread a layer of jelly over the pudding.
Pour the whites of the eggs over the jelly.
Replace in the oven.
Bake lightly.
Serve
Serve cold, with cream if preferred.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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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Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Milk + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Milk and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 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
- Eggs
- Yolks enrich and set the custard, while whipped whites add light structure to the topping.
- Bread crumbs (in the method)
- Absorb the milk and eggs, giving the pudding its body.
- Milk
- Provides moisture and, with the eggs, sets into a soft custard.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps stabilise the whipped egg whites.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, softening the crumb texture.
The step that matters
Bake until done, but not watery. Egg proteins set as the pudding bakes. If it is underbaked, the custard stays loose and weeping liquid will pool under the topping.
“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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