Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Meringues a LA Cuilleree
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the meringue
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.
Pound and sift the crushed sugar, then gently mix it into the egg whites with a wooden spoon.
Shape and bake
Using a tablespoon, drop the mixture onto white paper in egg shapes.
Sift powdered sugar thickly over the meringues and let them stand for 10 minutes.
Shake off excess sugar that does not adhere.
Place the meringues on wetted boards and bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C).
When the outside is crisp, turn them upside down and remove the paper.
Dip a teaspoon in hot water and hollow out the insides.
Dust the meringues with powdered sugar and dry them on a sieve.
Fill and serve
When ready to serve, fill them with whipped cream and stick two together.
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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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Egg + creamtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and cream barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 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
- Egg whites
- Whisked into a foam that traps air, giving the meringues their light structure.
- Crushed sugar
- Stabilises the whisked foam and adds sweetness and a crisp texture when baked.
- Whipped cream
- Fills the hollowed meringues, adding moisture and richness against the crisp shell.
The step that matters
Gently mixing the sugar into the egg whites. Egg white foam holds air only while it stays intact. Vigorous stirring deflates it, so the meringues bake flat and dense instead of light and crisp.
“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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