Why it works: Vanilla and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,287 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓
Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Melt the chocolate in a saucepan.
Add the powdered sugar, salt, water, and butter, and mix well.
Cook for a few minutes, then add the milk or cream.
Cook for a few minutes longer, then remove from heat.
Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. If the sauce is too thick, add more milk.
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 + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,287 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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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
- Chocolate
- Provides the main flavour and deep colour of the sauce.
- Powdered sugar
- Adds sweetness and dissolves smoothly into the melted chocolate.
- Milk or cream
- Adds moisture and creaminess, loosening the sauce as it cooks.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smoother, glossier texture and richer mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Adding the milk or cream. Dairy added to hot melted chocolate can cause it to seize and turn grainy if added too fast or at too high a heat. Adding it gradually over gentle heat, and thinning with more milk when needed, keeps the sauce smooth and pourable.
“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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