Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and 43,450 recipes mention both. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
For Beandy Ob Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
In a small saucepan, combine the egg yolks, powdered sugar, cream or milk, and brandy or sherry. Whisk until well mixed.
Fill a larger saucepan halfway with hot water and place it on the stove.
Set the small saucepan in the hot water and whisk the sauce for 6 to 8 minutes, ensuring it does not boil to prevent curdling.
Remove the small saucepan from the hot water.
Serve
Pour the sauce over plum pudding or into a sauceboat.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Cream + brandytop 16% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together2,635 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
-
Egg + brandytop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together7,340 recipes
Shared aroma: acetoin (butter, cream).
-
Sugar + brandytop 19% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and brandy share little aroma chemistry, yet 11,939 recipes mention both: they likely 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 yolks
- Thicken the sauce as they set gently with heat, giving it a smooth, creamy body.
- Cream or milk
- Adds moisture and richness, softening the sauce and mellowing the eggs.
- Brandy or sherry
- Adds a sharp, aromatic flavour that cuts through the sweetness and richness.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the sauce and dissolves easily into the liquid for a smooth texture.
The step that matters
Whisking over gentle heat. If the sauce gets too hot or boils, the egg yolks scramble and curdle, leaving a grainy texture. Keeping the water hot but not boiling and whisking constantly lets the yolks thicken evenly into a smooth custard-like sauce.
“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.
You might also like
Brandy Peaches68 recipes
Brandy Cream21 recipes
Brandy Pudding13 recipes
White Cake431 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.