Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Rich Boiled Custard
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the cream
Take a small cupful from a quart of fresh cream, and simmer the remainder for a few minutes with four ounces of sugar and the rind of a lemon, or give it any other flavour that may be preferred.
Beat and strain the yolks of eight eggs.
Mix the yolks with the cupful of cream.
Make the custard
Stir the rest of the cream while boiling, and thicken the custard like the preceding one.
Beat and strain the yolks of twelve new-laid eggs.
Pour a pint and a half of boiling sweetened cream, which has been sweetened with three ounces of sugar, into the yolks.
Add a pinch of salt and thicken the custard as usual.
Finish and flavour
When nearly cold, flavour it with a glass and a half of noyau, maraschino, or cuirasseau, and add sliced almonds or not, at pleasure.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cream and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 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
- Yolks thicken the custard as they set, giving it body and a smooth, rich texture.
- Cream
- Supplies fat and moisture, giving the custard its richness and silky mouthfeel.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the custard and balances the richness of the cream and yolks.
The step that matters
Thicken the custard over gentle heat. Egg yolks set at a relatively low temperature and can curdle or scramble if the custard boils or overheats. Stirring constantly over gentle heat keeps the custard smooth and thickened.
“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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