Why it works: Egg and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Peune Souffle
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Steam the prunes until tender and chop them finely.
Beat the egg whites to a firm froth.
Make the soufflé
Stir in the powdered sugar.
Gently fold in the chopped prunes.
Bake and serve
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
Serve immediately with whipped cream.
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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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg whites
- Whipped into a foam that traps air, giving the soufflé its lift and light structure.
- French prunes
- Add moisture, sweetness and concentrated fruit flavor to the soufflé base.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the mixture and helps stabilize the egg white foam.
The step that matters
Gently fold in the chopped prunes. Egg white foam holds air bubbles that make the soufflé rise. Vigorous stirring deflates the foam, so the prunes should be folded in slowly with a broad motion to keep as much air as possible.
“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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