Name: Cornstarch Pudding
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons grated chocolate added to this recipe; 2 cups cream; 1 pint of flour; 2 cups sficar; 1 quart flour siftecf; 2 teaspoons cream tartar; 2 cups milk; 1 teaspoon soda in the milk; a quart of milk in a double boiler; a pinch of salt; a cup of sugar; 3 eggs; 2 eggs; 2 eggs beaten light; salt

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 ↓

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 pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together43,450 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Chocolate + creamtop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,466 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
Sugar + chocolatetop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,404 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Chocolate + milktop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together9,128 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together78,219 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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

Milk: Forms the liquid base that the cornstarch thickens into a smooth pudding.
Cornstarch (in the method): Thickens the hot milk as its starch granules swell, giving the pudding body that sets when cooled.
Eggs: Yolks add richness and extra thickening, and they help the pudding set firmly.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and balances the flavor of the chocolate and eggs.
Grated chocolate: Adds chocolate flavor and a darker color to the pudding.

The step that matters

Adding the beaten yolks as the mixture begins to thicken. Egg yolks can scramble or curdle if they meet very hot liquid too quickly. Stirring them in once the mixture has started to thicken, and keeping the heat gentle, lets them thicken the custard smoothly.

“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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Chocolate	1 oz (28g) semisweet	155
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
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

Cornstarch Pudding