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 ↓
Paste, Puff, with Jam Rings
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately hot oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Roll out the puff paste to about ½ inch thick.
Stamp out an equal number of rounds, 2 inches and 1½ inches in diameter.
Brush the larger rounds with egg white.
Stamp out the center of the smaller rounds to form rings.
Press one ring lightly on top of each larger round.
Bake and fill
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.
Once cooled, fill the rings with jam.
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
- Puff paste
- Forms the flaky, layered structure that rises and crisps in the oven.
- Egg white
- Brushed on as a glaze that promotes browning and a glossy finish.
- Jam
- Provides the sweet, fruity filling that contrasts with the pastry.
The step that matters
Press the ring lightly onto the round. Pressing too hard seals the layers of puff pastry together, so the pastry cannot rise evenly. A light touch keeps the edges open so the rings puff and hold their shape.
“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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