Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg 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 ↓
S Tea Med Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a large bowl, combine molasses, chopped suet, sweet milk, baking soda, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
Fold in the chopped raisins.
Steam and serve
Pour the mixture into a pudding mold.
Steam for 3 hours.
Serve with currant sauce.
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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Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Cinnamon + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,390 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Nutmeg + raisintop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,377 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
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Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- New orleans molasses
- Adds moisture, dark color and a deep sweetness to the pudding.
- Suet
- Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and rich as it steams.
- Flour
- Provides the structure that holds the pudding together.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses's acidity to lighten the batter and help it rise.
- Raisins
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness in pockets throughout.
The step that matters
Steam for 3 hours. Steaming gently and evenly for the full time cooks the batter through and keeps it moist. Letting the water boil dry or lifting the lid often lowers the heat and can leave the center dense or undercooked.
“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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