Why it works: Flour and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Cherry Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the batter
In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the sweet milk.
Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until a stiff batter forms.
Fold in as many cherries as desired.
Bake
Pour the batter into a greased baking dish.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) until set and golden.
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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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure as they set during baking.
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the main structure of the pudding as the batter sets.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas that lifts the batter so the pudding rises while baking.
- Sweet milk
- Adds moisture and softens the flour so the batter pours and bakes evenly.
- Cherries
- Add fruit flavor and moisture scattered through the pudding.
The step that matters
Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until a stiff batter forms. Stirring just until combined keeps gluten development limited, so the pudding stays tender rather than tough and 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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