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Dessert

Timbales of Semolina

A steamed semolina dessert with apricots, vanilla, and a sweet syrup.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Apricot and vanilla match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 608 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

Timbales of Semolina

Ingredients

Directions

Make the base

  1. Simmer the vanilla pod in the water until flavored, then remove the vanilla pod.

  2. Sprinkle the semolina into the pot and boil the mixture for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

  3. Let the mixture cool slightly, then add the sugar.

  4. Beat in 6 yolks and 2 egg whites and continue beating until the mixture is nearly cold.

  5. Add the cream.

  6. Whisk stiffly the whites of 4 eggs and add them to the mixture.

Steam and serve

  1. Pour the mixture into well-buttered timbale or dariole molds and steam the molds for 30 minutes.

  2. Heat the apricot halves between two plates.

  3. Boil the apricot syrup until reduced, then flavor the syrup with a little Maraschino, if desired.

  4. Turn out the timbales onto a hot dish and place an apricot on top of each timbale.

  5. Decorate with shredded almonds, angelica, and cherries.

  6. Strain the syrup over the timbales and serve.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

  1. Apricot + vanillatop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together608 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).

  2. Almond + vanillatop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,961 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  3. Apricot + almondtop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together852 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  4. Angelica + almondtop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together135 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  5. Angelica + vanillatop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together170 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Set the custard structure as they cook and give the timbales their light, firm body.
Semolina
Thickens the boiled liquid into a stiff base that holds its shape when cooled and steamed.
Apricots
Provide the fruity flavor and the syrup that is served over the timbales.
Caster sugar
Sweetens the base and adds softness to the set custard.
Cream
Adds richness and fat, giving a softer, smoother texture to the timbales.

The step that matters

Beat the mixture until nearly cold before adding the egg whites. If the base is still hot, the egg whites and yolks can scramble or deflate, and the whipped whites will lose the air that gives the timbales their lightness.

Swap the angelica

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (apricot, semolina, sugar, egg, almond, cream, vanilla):

  1. Cinnamonfits better
  2. Nutmegfits better
  3. Angelicathe original
  4. Turmericfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against apricot, semolina, sugar, egg, almond, cream, vanilla. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“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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