Why it works: Nutmeg and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Suet Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
In a bowl, combine molasses, suet, raisins, and flour.
Dissolve baking soda and salt in boiling water, then add to the mixture.
Season with nutmeg and cinnamon to taste.
Steam and serve
Pour the mixture into a greased pudding mold.
Steam for 2 hours.
Serve with hard sauce.
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.
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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Nutmeg + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Raisin + flourtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Raisin + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,390 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Raisin + nutmegtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,377 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
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Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Molasses
- Adds dark sweetness and moisture, and a deep color to the pudding.
- Suet
- Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and rich as it steams.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the pudding together as it sets.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses's acidity to help the pudding rise and lighten.
The step that matters
Dissolving the baking soda in boiling water. Baking soda needs to be fully dissolved and mixed in evenly, or it leaves pockets that taste bitter and cause uneven rising. Combining it with the acidic molasses releases gas that lightens the batter.
“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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