Why it works: Milk and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,399 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Curd Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Directions
Make the curd mixture
Turn one quart of milk into curds, using Benger's Essence of Rennet.
Beat them up with 2 oz. of butter, a tablespoonful of sugar, and vanilla flavouring.
Add a large egg, well beaten, 1 oz. of currants, and a tablespoonful of cream.
Line and bake
Line some patty tins (or a larger size of tins if liked) with thin short crust.
Fill them well up with the mixture, and bake in a good oven till set.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
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 + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Milk
- Forms the curds that give the cheesecake its soft, tender body.
- Egg (in the method)
- Sets during baking, binding the curd mixture into a firm, sliceable filling.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and a smooth, tender texture to the curd.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Adds sweetness and helps the crust and filling brown lightly in the oven.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and richness, keeping the filling smooth rather than dry.
The step that matters
Bake until set. Egg proteins set as they heat, so underbaking leaves the filling runny, while overbaking makes it dry and rubbery and can cause it to weep.
“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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