Why it works: Almond and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,514 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Almond Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the dough
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
Gradually add the flour, milk, and egg yolks, mixing until smooth.
Roll out a small portion of dough thinly and cut into 2-3 inch squares.
Top and bake
In a separate bowl, mix the blanched almonds, crushed sugar, and ground cinnamon.
Brush the cookies with beaten egg whites and sprinkle the almond mixture on top.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden.
Serve with ice cream.
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 + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,514 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Flour + almondtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,673 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Flour + cinnamontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,655 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Creams with sugar to give the dough richness and a tender crumb.
- Flour
- Forms the structure that holds the cookie shape as it bakes.
- Egg yolks
- Add richness and help bind the dough into a smooth mixture.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the dough, helping the cookies rise and stay light.
- Blanched almonds
- Provide the nutty topping and crunch once baked.
- Egg whites
- Brushed on top to help the almond topping adhere and brown the surface.
The step that matters
Bake in the preheated oven until golden. Sugar and proteins brown quickly at high heat, so cookies can scorch on top before the centre sets. Watch colour closely rather than relying only on time.
“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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