Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
German Puffs
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mixture
Pound the two ounces of Jordan almonds and six bitter almonds to a perfectly smooth paste.
Mix the paste with the yolks of six eggs and the whites of three eggs, adding slowly.
Dissolve the half pint of rich cream, four ounces of fresh butter, and two ounces of fine sugar.
Pour the hot mixture into the eggs, stirring briskly together.
When the mixture has cooled, flavor it with half a glass of brandy, cuirasseau, or orange-flower water, or a little lemon-brandy if desired.
Fill and bake
Butter some cups thickly and strew a few slices of candied citron or orange rind into them.
Pour the mixture into the cups.
Bake the puffs for twenty minutes in a slow oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| 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.
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Almond + buttertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,245 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Almond + creamtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,130 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
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
- Jordan almonds
- Provide the main nutty flavor and body once pounded into a smooth paste.
- Fresh butter
- Adds richness and a tender, fine crumb through its fat.
- Rich cream
- Adds moisture and richness, keeping the puffs soft and creamy.
- Eggs
- Provide structure, and set as they bake to hold the puffs together.
The step that matters
Pouring the hot mixture into the eggs. Eggs begin to set when heated, so hot liquid poured in too quickly can scramble them. Adding it gradually while stirring briskly blends it smoothly into a uniform custard.
Swap the almond
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cream, egg):
- Almondthe original
- Pecansfits about as well
- Filbertfits about as well
- Walnutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cream, egg. 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.
You might also like
Almond Sponge Cake26 recipes
Almond Custard22 recipes
Almond Wafers22 recipes
Coconut Almond Cake17 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.