Why it works: Almond and vanilla match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,961 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Burnt Almond Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Scorch the brown sugar in a pan until it caramelizes.
In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch with a little milk to create a slurry.
Heat the fresh milk in a saucepan and add the scorched sugar, stirring until dissolved.
Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
Blend in the blanched almonds, salt, butter, and vanilla.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Beat the eggs and stir them into the mixture.
Set and serve
Pour into molds and refrigerate until set.
Serve chilled with 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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 + vanillatop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,961 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Almond + buttertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,245 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
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
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the milk as it heats, giving the cream its body when it sets.
- Eggs
- Add richness and help the cream set firm once chilled.
- Brown sugar
- Scorched first, it gives the cream a deep caramel flavour and sweetness.
- Blanched almonds
- Add nutty flavour and a tender texture to the cream.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smoother mouthfeel and richer flavour.
- Fresh milk
- Forms the base of the cream, providing liquid and dairy richness.
The step that matters
Add the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.. Cornstarch thickens only when heated to a boil and needs constant stirring, otherwise it clumps on the bottom of the pan and the cream turns lumpy and uneven.
Swap the almond
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, egg):
- Almondthe original
- Pecansfits about as well
- Cocoafits about as well
- Chestnutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, egg. 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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