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
12 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
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the filling
Cream the egg yolks and sugar together until well combined.
Add the cake crumbs, grated chocolate, cornflour, and melted butter to the mixture.
Whip the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the mixture.
Line 12 patty pans with the short crust paste.
Fill the patty pans with the chocolate mixture.
Bake and finish
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until set.
Once cooled, cover each tartlet with chocolate icing and allow it to 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
- Eggs
- Whipped whites give lift and the yolks help bind and set the filling.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a tender, moist texture to the filling.
- Grated chocolate
- Provides the main chocolate flavour and richness in the filling.
- Cornflour
- Thickens the filling and helps it set to a soft, sliceable texture.
- Cake crumbs
- Add body and softness, absorbing moisture within the filling.
- Caster sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps create a smooth, aerated batter.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites. Whites whipped to stiff peaks trap air that gives lift. Folding gently keeps that air in; overmixing deflates the batter, leaving the tartlets dense.
“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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