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Dessert

Nesselrode Pudding

A gelatin-based pudding containing raisins, almonds, citron, and eggs, set in a mold and chilled.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Raisin and almond are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,781 recipes. Both carry 2-nonanone, which smells fruity, floral. The science ↓

Nesselrode Pudding

Ingredients

Directions

Make the custard

  1. Beat the yolks of the eggs with the sugar.

  2. Add the egg mixture to the hot milk and cook for one minute, stirring constantly until it coats the spoon.

  3. Dissolve the gelatine in the cold water and add it to the hot milk mixture, stirring until dissolved.

Add the flavourings

  1. Stir in the chopped nuts, raisins, citron, and a little salt.

  2. Set the mixture in a pan of cold water for five minutes.

Set and serve

  1. Fold in the beaten egg whites, brandy, and vanilla.

  2. Pour into a mold and refrigerate until set.

  3. Serve with plain or whipped cream.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

  1. Raisin + almondtop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,781 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).

  2. Almond + vanillatop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,961 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  3. Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together19,187 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

  4. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  5. Brandy + vanillatop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together806 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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
Yolks thicken the custard and whites add lightness when folded in.
Gelatine
Sets the liquid mixture so the pudding holds its shape when chilled.
Milk
Forms the creamy base that the egg custard thickens into.
Sugar
Sweetens the custard and balances the richness of the eggs and milk.
Raisins
Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness throughout the pudding.

The step that matters

Cooking the egg custard. Egg yolks thicken as they heat but can scramble if the mixture gets too hot or is not stirred constantly. Stirring until it coats the spoon ensures a smooth base before the gelatine is added.

“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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