Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Steam Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a large bowl, mix the flour, chopped suet, molasses, baking soda, and salt.
Fold in the chopped raisins or currants and brown sugar.
Gradually add the sweet milk until well combined.
Steam and serve
Pour the mixture into a greased pudding mold.
Cover and steam for three hours.
Serve warm.
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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Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Molasses + sugartop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Molasses + raisintop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,577 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Raisin + sugartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and milk 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
- Flour
- Forms the main structure of the pudding as it sets.
- Suet
- Adds richness and moisture, keeping the pudding tender during steaming.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses to lighten the batter and help it rise.
- Molasses
- Adds moisture, dark color, and a deep, sweet flavor.
- Raisins or currants
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness throughout the pudding.
The step that matters
Cover and steam for three hours. Steaming gently and steadily sets the batter without drying it. If the water boils down or the mold is not sealed, the pudding can dry out or turn dense, so the pot needs enough water and a tight cover.
“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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