Why it works: Almond and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,514 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Grated Apple Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure. The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare the batter
In a bowl, cream the egg yolks and sugar together.
Add the grated apples, lemon juice and rind, chopped almonds, cinnamon, and matzo meal to the mixture.
Bake
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture gently.
Pour the batter into a springform pan and bake for about 30-40 minutes.
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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Almond + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,514 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Apple + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,598 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
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Lemon + cinnamontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,950 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Lemon + almondtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,655 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Egg whites, beaten stiff, give the pudding its light, airy structure as they set in the oven.
- Tart apples
- Provide the moisture and fruity acidity that give the pudding its body and flavor.
- Matzo meal
- Absorbs liquid from the apples and eggs, helping the batter set into a soft, cohesive crumb.
- Granulated sugar
- Sweetens the batter and helps tenderize the yolks as they are creamed together.
- Chopped almonds
- Add fat and a toasty, nutty texture that contrasts with the soft pudding.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites. Beaten whites trap air that makes the pudding rise and stay light. Folding gently keeps that air in; stirring vigorously deflates the foam and leaves a dense pudding.
Swap the apple
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lemon, egg, almond, sugar, cinnamon):
- Vanillafits better
- Raisinfits better
- Orangefits better
- Applethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lemon, egg, almond, sugar, cinnamon. 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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