Why it works: Biscuit and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,332 recipes. Both carry nonanal, which smells fat, citrus. The science ↓
Jelly Puddings
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
Scald the milk and pour it over the crumbs.
Beat the mixture until it is half cold.
Stir in the beaten egg yolks.
Fold in the beaten egg whites.
Add the baking soda dissolved in boiling water.
Fill large cups half full with the batter.
Bake and fill
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 30 minutes.
Once done, turn out the puddings quickly.
Make an incision in the side of each.
Pull the incision partly open.
Fill with a spoonful of jelly.
Pinch the edges to close.
Serve warm with sweetened cream.
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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Biscuit + milktop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,332 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Biscuit + eggtop 27% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,643 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Biscuit or bread crumbs
- Form the bulk of the batter and absorb the hot milk to set a soft, tender base.
- Milk
- Softens the crumbs and adds moisture so the batter bakes up light and tender.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and, with their whites beaten in, give the puddings lift and structure.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the batter to produce gas, helping the puddings rise.
- Jelly, jam, or marmalade
- Adds sweetness and fruity flavour, and moisture to the filling.
The step that matters
Fold in the beaten egg whites. Egg whites hold air only if they are beaten stiff and folded in gently. Stirring them hard deflates the foam, so the puddings bake up dense instead of light.
“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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