Why it works: Egg and sugar 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 ↓
Mince Pies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a brisk oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Roll out the puff paste very thinly, less than ¼ inch.
Assemble
Butter the patty tins and line them with the rolled puff paste.
Fill the lined tins liberally with mincemeat.
Cover with a thicker layer of puff paste.
Bake and serve
Whisk the egg and brush it over the top of the pies.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle fine sugar over the pies before serving.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Egg + sugartop 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
- Puff paste
- Forms the flaky, layered pastry case and lid that hold the filling.
- Mincemeat
- Provides the sweet, spiced filling that fills the pies.
- Egg
- Brushed on top, it promotes browning and a glossy finish.
- Fine sugar
- Sprinkled on top for sweetness and a light crunch.
The step that matters
Rolling the puff paste thinly. Thin base and lid pastry bake crisp and flaky; thick pastry stays doughy and can keep the filling from heating through evenly.
“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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