Why it works: Lemon and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 44,316 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓
Empress Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mousse base
Soften one tablespoon granulated gelatin in 4 cups cold water.
Add the softened gelatin to 4 cups hot milk and 2 cups sugar.
When the sugar and gelatin are entirely dissolved, strain the mixture into a dish and set it in cold water.
Beat the mixture as it begins to thicken.
Finish and serve
When it is light, fold in the stiffly whipped egg white, one tablespoon lemon juice, a little grated lemon rind, and 1/2 pint whipped cream.
Serve in small glasses, chill, and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
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 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| 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.
-
Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Lemon + creamtop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,640 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Lemon and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 44,316 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 mixture into a light, sliceable structure as it cools.
- Whipped cream
- Adds fat and air, giving the dessert a light, creamy texture.
- Egg white
- Whipped to foam, it adds lightness and airy volume to the mixture.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the sweetness of the dessert.
The step that matters
Beat the mixture as it begins to thicken. Beating while the gelatin mixture is only partly set incorporates air evenly and keeps it smooth. Wait too long and it sets in lumps, so the light texture is lost before the whipped components are folded in.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Raspberryfits better
- Strawberryfits better
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cream, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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