Why it works: Chocolate and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 15,404 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Chocolate Tartlets
6 tartletsIngredients
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 the filling
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cream the egg yolk and sugar together until well combined.
Add the cake crumbs, grated chocolate, cornflour, and melted butter; mix well.
Whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form, then gently fold it into the mixture.
Bake and finish
Line 6 patty pans with short-crust pastry and fill them with the chocolate mixture.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until set.
Once cooled, cover each tartlet with chocolate icing and let it harden before serving.
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.
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Chocolate + sugartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,404 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Chocolate + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,543 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Sugar + eggtop 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
- Egg
- The yolk and whisked white set the filling and give it a light, airy structure.
- Cake crumbs
- Provide bulk and body, giving the filling a soft, crumbly texture.
- Grated chocolate
- Supplies the chocolate flavour and helps the filling set as it bakes.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, contributing to a tender texture and smooth mouthfeel.
- Cornflour
- Thickens the filling so it sets firmly rather than staying runny when baked.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg white. Whisked egg white traps air that gives lift. Folding gently keeps that air in; stirring vigorously deflates the foam and leaves a denser, heavier tartlet.
“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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