Why it works: Cream and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Modern Cookery
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.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Make and bake the custard
Mix the egg yolks, cream, butter, sugar, and brandy or orange‑flower water.
Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
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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Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Butter + brandytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,127 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Cream + brandytop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,635 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg whites
- Whipped to stiff peaks, they give the custard an airy, light structure.
- Egg yolks
- Their proteins set when heated, giving the custard its body and richness.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and fat, producing a soft, smooth texture.
- Butter
- Adds fat, contributing richness and a tender mouthfeel.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the custard and adds to its tender texture.
- Brandy or orange-flower water
- Adds aroma and flavour to the custard.
The step that matters
Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Whipped egg whites hold air that gives the custard lift. Stirring or beating vigorously knocks that air out, so the custard bakes denser and flatter.
“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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