Why it works: Cream and sugar 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 ↓
Ice Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
In a large bowl, combine the cream, milk, and sugar.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until well mixed.
Gradually add the beaten eggs to the cream mixture.
Cook the mixture over low heat until it thickens and the flour taste is gone.
Chill and churn
Chill the mixture, then churn in an ice cream maker until frozen.
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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Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Cream + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Milk + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Milk and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 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
- Their proteins set as they heat, thickening the custard and adding richness and structure.
- Cream
- Supplies fat, which gives the ice cream a rich mouthfeel and smooth texture.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base and adds milk solids that contribute body and flavour.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and lowers the freezing point, keeping the frozen texture softer.
The step that matters
Cooking the custard over low heat. Egg proteins set as they warm. If the heat is too high or the mixture is left unstirred, the eggs can scramble into lumps. Low heat and steady stirring let the custard thicken evenly.
“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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