Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg 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 ↓
Delicious Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the pumpkin
Cut the pumpkin into thin slices.
Boil the sliced pumpkin until tender in minimal water, watching to prevent scorching.
Mash the pumpkin finely, pressing it against the sides of the kettle to drain excess water. Repeat mashing until dry, about 30 to 60 minutes.
Rub the warm mashed pumpkin through a sieve, then mix in the butter.
Make the batter
Add the milk and beaten egg yolks.
Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Stir in sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
Heat the batter until scalding hot, stirring constantly.
Bake
Pour the batter into pie dishes.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) until set and golden brown.
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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Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Cinnamon + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,380 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Pumpkin + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,744 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Nutmeg + gingertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,324 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pumpkin
- Provides the bulk and body of the filling once cooked down and dried.
- Eggs
- Set the custard as they cook, giving the filling structure and firmness.
- Milk
- Adds liquid and richness, and helps the custard become smooth and creamy.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a rich texture and a smoother, more tender filling.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the filling brown lightly in the oven.
The step that matters
Heat the batter until scalding hot, stirring constantly. Eggs thicken as they heat, so stirring keeps the mixture smooth and prevents curdling or scorching on the bottom of the pan.
Swap the pumpkin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, milk, egg, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger):
- Vanillafits better
- Lemonfits better
- Raisinfits better
- Pumpkinthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, milk, egg, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. 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.
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