Why it works: Butter and milk 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 ↓
Boiled Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Boil the milk.
Scald the flour carefully until free from lumps and perfectly smooth.
Mix into the scalded flour one yolk at a time, until all are added.
Beat the butter and sugar together to a cream.
Stir the butter‑sugar cream into the scalded flour after the yolks have been added.
Beat the egg whites to a stiff froth.
Add the beaten egg whites just before putting the mixture into the mould.
Boil and serve
Boil the mixture for one hour or more, keeping it boiling until served, and not removing it from water until served.
Serve with wine sauce or sugar and cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| 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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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Flour
- Scalded flour forms the structure that holds the pudding together as it sets.
- Eggs
- Yolks enrich and bind the batter, while whites beaten to a froth add lightness.
- Butter
- Creamed with sugar, it adds richness and a tender texture.
- Sugar
- Creamed with butter, it adds sweetness and helps give a smooth texture.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the batter, which thickens as the flour is scalded.
The step that matters
Keep the mixture boiling until served. The pudding must stay in boiling water throughout cooking and serving. If the water stops boiling or the pudding is lifted out early, it may cool, sink, or set unevenly, so it is kept boiling and left in the water until it is served.
“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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