Why it works: Vanilla and coconut match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,294 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Cream Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the filling
Separate the egg whites and yolks.
Beat the yolks lightly and mix with a little cold milk.
In a cup, combine corn starch with just enough cold milk to wet it, stirring until smooth.
Heat the remaining milk in a double boiler or saucepan over boiling water.
Combine the corn starch mixture and egg mixture, then add to the boiling milk.
Stir until thickened.
Add sugar, salt, and butter, cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and add vanilla to flavor.
Bake the crust
Line a pie tin with pastry, pierce it in several places with a fork, and bake in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes.
Once the crust is done, let it cool slightly, then fill it with the cream filling.
Top and serve
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, add a tablespoon of sugar and a little flavoring, then spread on top of the cream.
Sprinkle with coconut if desired and brown in the oven.
Serve cold.
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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Vanilla + coconuttop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,294 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Corn + coconuttop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together306 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange 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).
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
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the custard and gives it its body.
- Corn starch
- Thickens the milk as it heats, giving the filling a smooth, sliceable set.
- Eggs
- Egg yolks enrich and thicken the custard; whites whipped into the topping give it lift.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps the whipped egg white topping hold its structure.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a richer flavor and a smoother mouthfeel to the filling.
The step that matters
Stir until thickened. Cornstarch needs to be stirred while the milk is hot to thicken evenly. Stopping early leaves a thin filling, and stirring without care can leave lumps, so keep it moving until it is smooth and thick.
Swap the coconut
The recipe marks coconut as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, corn, egg, sugar, butter, vanilla):
- Coconutthe original
- Figfits about as well
- Peachfits about as well
- Blueberryfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, corn, egg, sugar, butter, vanilla. 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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