Why it works: Almond and orange are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,125 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Jewish Almond Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a rather quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the batter
If using whole almonds, grind them finely.
In a bowl, mix the ground almonds, sugar, and orange-flower water.
Add the egg yolks and whisk until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the egg whites into the almond mixture.
Bake and serve
Pour the mixture into a well-buttered or oiled baking dish.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes or until firm.
Serve hot or cold, topped with sifted sugar or a fruit syrup.
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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Almond + orangetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,125 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Almond + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Sugar + orangetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together19,212 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Almond + eggtop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Sugar and orange barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,212 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Sweet almonds
- Provide the main body and nutty flavour of the pudding.
- Egg yolks
- Enrich the custard-like texture and help bind the mixture as it sets.
- Egg whites
- Whipped to stiff peaks, they add lightness and help the pudding rise in the oven.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pudding and adds softness to its texture.
The step that matters
Folding the egg whites. Whisked whites trap air that gives the pudding its lift. Folding gently keeps that air in; stirring or deflating the whites makes the pudding dense and flat.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (almond, sugar, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Raisinfits better
- Figfits better
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against almond, sugar, egg. 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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