Why it works: Almond and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,115 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Almond Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare
Beat the sweet and bitter almonds with the water until smooth.
In a bowl, mix the butter, eggs, cream, brandy, nutmeg, and sugar until well combined.
Fill and bake
Butter some cups and fill them halfway with the mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) until set.
Serve
Serve with butter, wine, and sugar.
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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Almond + nutmegtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,115 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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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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Almond + buttertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,245 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
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Cream + nutmegtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sweet almonds
- Provide the main almond flavor and body of the pudding.
- Eggs
- Set during baking to give the pudding its firm, sliceable structure.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a tender texture to the mixture.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and richness, making the mixture softer and smoother.
- Brandy
- Adds a warm aroma that complements the almonds.
The step that matters
Bake until set, not longer. Egg proteins set as they heat, so baking only until the pudding is firm keeps it tender. Overbaking tightens the proteins further, which makes the texture rubbery and dry and can cause the liquid to separate.
“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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