Why it works: Apple and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,501 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Apple Jonathan
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a steady oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure. The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Melt the butter and mix it with the flour and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla essence.
Combine the melted butter mixture with the egg mixture to form a light batter.
Assemble and bake
Grease a shallow pie dish and place the chopped apples in the bottom.
Sprinkle some sugar over the apples.
Pour the batter over the apples and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
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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Apple + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,501 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Vanilla + sugartop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + vanillatop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,241 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + vanillatop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,050 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Vanilla and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the batter as it sets in the oven.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, contributing to a tender texture and browning.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and help it set during baking.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter, helping it rise and lighten.
- Apples
- Provide moisture and tartness beneath the batter.
The step that matters
Combine the batter gently. Overmixing a flour batter develops gluten, which can make the finished tart tough and dense rather than light. Mix only until the ingredients are combined.
Swap the apple
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, butter, egg, vanilla, sugar):
- Raisinfits better
- Figfits better
- Blueberryfits better
- Applethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, butter, egg, vanilla, sugar. 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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