Why it works: Butter and brandy are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,127 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Brandy Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg whites one at a time, beating steadily after each addition.
When ready, add the brandy and boiling water.
Set the bowl over a pot of boiling water (bain marie) and stir until creamy.
Serve hot.
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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Butter + brandytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,127 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Brandy + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,340 recipes
Shared aroma: acetoin (butter, cream).
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Brandy + sugartop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Brandy and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 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
- Butter
- Creamed with sugar, it traps air and gives the sauce a rich, smooth body.
- Powdered sugar
- Dissolves easily into the butter and adds sweetness with a fine, smooth texture.
- Egg whites
- Beaten in, they add lightness and help the sauce set into a creamy, foamy texture.
- Brandy
- Adds a distinct alcohol-based aroma and flavour to the sauce.
The step that matters
Adding the egg whites one at a time. Adding them gradually and beating well between additions lets each one emulsify and incorporate into the butter mixture. Adding them all at once can cause the mixture to split or lose its airy structure.
“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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