Why it works: Sugar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Cranberry Pie with Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure. The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare the filling
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a bowl, mix cranberries, sugar, whole egg, and egg yolks until well combined.
Pour the mixture into a pie crust.
Bake and top with meringue
Bake the pie for about 25-30 minutes until set.
While the pie is baking, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and gradually add 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Spread the meringue over the baked pie and return to the oven for a few minutes to lightly brown.
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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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cranberries
- Provide the tart flavor and bulk of the filling.
- Eggs
- Set the filling into a sliceable custard as they cook.
- Egg whites
- Whip into a stiff foam that forms the meringue topping.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps the meringue hold its structure.
The step that matters
Beating the egg whites to stiff peaks. Egg whites need to be whipped until they hold firm peaks, and sugar is added gradually so the foam stays stable. Under-whipped or greasy whites will weep or collapse on the pie.
“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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