Why it works: Nutmeg and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Corn-starch 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.
Make the cornstarch base
Dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold milk.
Heat the rest of the milk to boiling, then stir in the dissolved cornstarch and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in the Cottolene while still very hot.
Set aside until cold.
Add the eggs and bake
Beat the egg whites and yolks until light, then mix in the sugar and spices.
Stir the egg mixture into the cornstarch mixture, beating thoroughly to create a smooth custard.
Pour into a greased dish and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes.
Serve cold, dusted with powdered 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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Nutmeg + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Milk + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,655 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Milk + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,685 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the milk into a set, sliceable pudding as it cooks and cools.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base that the starch thickens and the eggs enrich.
- Egg yolks
- Add richness and help the custard set into a smooth, firm texture.
- Egg whites
- Add lightness and structure to the custard as they are beaten and baked.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pudding and contributes to its tender texture.
The step that matters
Boil the cornstarch mixture for the full 3 minutes while stirring constantly. Starch granules only swell and thicken fully once they reach boiling, and stirring prevents lumps and scorching on the bottom of the pan. Stopping early leaves a thin, starchy base.
“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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