Why it works: Egg and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Nut Macaroons
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Beat the egg white until light; gradually add sugar while beating constantly.
Fold in finely chopped pecan nuts and sprinkle with salt.
Bake
Drop spoonfuls, one inch apart, onto an unbuttered sheet and bake in a moderate oven until delicately browned.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Pecan Nut | 1 half (4g) | 20 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Meat | not in our table | 0 |
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.
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Egg + meattop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,432 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Sugar + meattop 34% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,866 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg white
- Whipped to a light foam that gives the macaroons their airy structure.
- Brown sugar
- Stabilizes the whipped white and adds sweetness and caramel flavor as it browns.
- Pecan nut meats
- Add crunch, richness and nutty flavor to the cookies.
The step that matters
Beating the egg white with sugar. The white must be beaten until light before the sugar is added gradually, so it holds air. If the sugar goes in too fast or the white is underbeaten, the foam collapses and the cookies spread and turn out dense.
“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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