Why it works: Gelatin and cream match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,628 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
Ice Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Make the base
Soak the gelatin in 1 pint of sweet milk for 10 minutes.
Place the mixture on the stove and stir until smooth, then remove and stir until cold.
Finish and freeze
Add the beaten egg whites, sugar, sherry wine, and whipped cream.
Freeze the mixture.
Optionally, add nuts or cherries before freezing.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
-
Gelatin + creamtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,628 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Gelatin + sugartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,778 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Milk + sherrytop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,479 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (cocoa, roasted).
-
Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Gelatin
- Sets the mixture so the frozen dessert holds its shape and stays smooth.
- Egg whites
- Add airy lightness and structure to the frozen mixture.
- Heavy cream
- Adds richness and a creamy, smooth texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and softens the texture of the frozen dessert.
- Sherry wine
- Adds aroma and flavor, and lowers the freezing point for a softer texture.
The step that matters
Stir the gelatin mixture until smooth before cooling. Gelatin must fully dissolve for an even set. Undissolved granules leave gritty or rubbery spots and uneven texture in the frozen dessert.
“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.
More ice cream recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.