Why it works: Sugar and brandy are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,939 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Damson Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Bake cleaned ripe damsons in a deep earthen pan covered with paper at 300°F (150°C) until soft.
Rub the hot damsons through a colander into a stewpan.
Add powdered sugar to taste and boil for at least 2.5 hours over gentle heat, stirring frequently until thick.
Crack and blanch the damson kernels, adding them to the mixture 5 minutes before removing from heat.
Pour the mixture into molds or cups and let it stand for 24 hours.
Dip pieces of writing paper in brandy and cover the tops of the damson cheeses, storing them in a dry place.
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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Sugar + brandytop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar and brandy barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 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
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