Why it works: Almond and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,115 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Richmond Maids of Honor
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Mix the dry curd and butter together.
Beat the sugar and eggs to a cream.
Add the mashed potato, chopped almonds, grated rind of two lemons, juice of one lemon, and a little nutmeg; beat well.
Add this mixture to the curds and butter, mix thoroughly.
Bake
Bake in tartlet pans or pie plates lined with puff pastry.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Almond | 1 almond (1.2g) | 7 |
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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Almond + nutmegtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,115 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Lemon + nutmegtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,318 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Potato + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,052 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Almond + lemontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,655 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Almond + potatotop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together337 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Dry curd
- Forms the main body of the filling, giving it a soft, set structure when baked.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a tender, smooth texture to the filling.
- Eggs
- Bind the filling and help it set into a firm custard-like texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps it brown lightly in the oven.
- White potato
- Adds moisture and body, keeping the filling soft and tender.
- Lemons
- Add acidity and fragrant aroma that brighten the sweet filling.
The step that matters
Beat the sugar and eggs to a cream. Beating sugar and eggs together dissolves the sugar and traps air, so the filling blends smoothly and bakes evenly rather than turning grainy or dense.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, almond, egg, lemon, nutmeg):
- Arrowrootfits better
- Sweet potatofits better
- Shallotfits better
- Potatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, almond, egg, lemon, nutmeg. 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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