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 ↓
Small Sugar Souffles
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a gentle oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Whisk the egg white to a very firm froth.
Gradually add the sifted sugar and mix until well combined.
Roll the mixture into small balls, dusting your fingers with sifted sugar to prevent sticking.
Moisten the tops of the balls lightly with cold water using your finger or a paste brush.
Place the balls in small round paper cases or on sheets of paper.
Bake and serve
Bake in a gentle oven at 300°F (150°C) for 16 to 30 minutes, checking for firmness.
Remove from the oven when firm to the touch.
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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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
- Egg white
- Whipped into a firm froth, it traps air and gives the souffles their light, airy structure.
- Sifted sugar
- Sweetens the mixture and, once combined with the foam, helps it set into a firm, dry-textured confection.
The step that matters
Baking until firm, not longer. Bake gently and check for firmness within the given time range. Over-baking dries the sugar mixture and can make it brittle, while the gentle heat sets the egg white structure without browning it.
“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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