Why it works: Lemon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,318 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Dried Apple Custard Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Stew apples until done and rub through a colander.
Add two yolks, one white, well beaten, one-half cup butter, one-half cup sugar, one scant teaspoon cornstarch, juice of one lemon, and one-fourth nutmeg, then beat all together.
Bake and finish
Bake with bottom crust only.
Cover with meringue and brown in the oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
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 + nutmegtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,318 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Butter + nutmegtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together24,377 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Butter + lemontop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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
- Butter
- Adds richness and a tender, smooth texture to the filling.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps balance the tartness of the apples and lemon.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the filling as they set and add richness and color.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the apple mixture so it sets rather than running when baked.
- Lemon
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and balances the sweetness.
The step that matters
Rub the stewed apples through a colander. Cooking the apples until fully soft and pressing them smooth gives the custard-like filling an even, lump-free texture. Lumps left in the purée will not blend evenly into the thickened filling.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, lemon):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Parsleyfits about as well
- Nutmegthe original
- Tarragonfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, lemon. 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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