Why it works: Milk and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 88,785 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Cabinet Pudding No. 3
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the brioche
Take a loaf of brioche baked the day before in a cylindrical mold.
Cut it into slices one half inch thick.
Cut with a small patty-cutter a round piece from the center of all but two of the slices.
Cut the crust from the outside, taking as little as possible.
Spread each slice with apricot jam.
Sprinkle each slice with chopped almonds.
Butter the mold well.
Fill and bake
Replace the slices, placing the bottom slice which has not had a hole cut in the center.
Fill the well in the center with mixed canned fruits well drained, using pineapple, apricots, a few candied cherries, and chopped almonds.
Pour in a custard mixture made of one pint of milk, four yolks of eggs, two and a half tablespoonfuls of sugar.
Let the brioche absorb the liquid.
Cover with the second whole slice.
Pour some of the custard mixture over that slice.
Place the mold in a pan of hot water.
Poach in a slow oven for one hour.
Let it stand a little while in the mold after it is cooked.
Unmold and serve
Unmold.
Spread the whole outside with apricot jam.
Sprinkle with chopped almonds.
Serve with apricot sauce or any other sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| 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.
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Milk + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Milk and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 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
- Eggs
- Egg yolks set the custard, binding the brioche and fruit into a firm, sliceable pudding.
- Milk
- Milk forms the liquid custard that the brioche soaks up and then sets during gentle baking.
- Brioche (in the method)
- Enriched bread soaks up the custard and holds its shape as the pudding sets.
- Sugar
- Sugar sweetens the custard and adds to its tender texture.
- Apricot jam (in the method)
- Jam adds sweetness and fruity flavour, and a glossy finish on the outside.
The step that matters
Poach gently in a slow oven in a water bath. Hot water around the mold and a slow oven keep the custard heat gentle, so the eggs set smoothly without curdling or turning rubbery.
“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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