Snow Balls

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.

1. Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together43,450 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

2. Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together78,219 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

3. Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together92,116 recipes

   Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).

4. Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together106,462 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together29,399 recipes

   Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

Milk and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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

Bind the dough and add richness and structure as it sets in the frying fat.

Baking soda

Reacts with the acid in the dough to produce gas, helping the balls rise and lighten.

Cream of tartar

Acidic component that works with the baking soda to leaven the dough and add tenderness.

Sugar

Adds sweetness and helps the outside brown during frying.

Flour

Provides the structure that holds the dough together and lets it be shaped into balls.