Name: Ice Pudding
Ingredients: 1 pint of milk; 4 eggs; 2 oz of caster sugar; ⅓ cup of maraschino; ⅓ cup of brandy; 1 pint of whipped cream; 1 lb of candied fruit

Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓

Ice Pudding

Ingredients

Directions

Make the custard

Make a custard by combining the eggs and milk.
Add the sugar.
Strain the mixture.
Let it boil.
Stir in the brandy and maraschino.
Half freeze the mixture.

Finish and set

Add the candied fruit and whipped cream.
Finish freezing.
Pour into a pudding mold.
Pack in ice until needed.

Prepare the fruit

Soak the candied fruit in a little brandy before using.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together43,450 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Milk + brandytop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,738 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Brandy + creamtop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,635 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
Egg + brandytop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together7,340 recipes

Shared aroma: acetoin (butter, cream).
Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked 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

Eggs: Set the custard and give the frozen pudding its rich structure.
Milk: Forms the liquid base of the custard, carrying the eggs and sugar.
Whipped cream: Adds fat and air, making the frozen texture light and smooth.
Caster sugar: Sweetens the custard and softens the texture of the frozen mixture.
Brandy: Adds aroma and flavor; alcohol also keeps the frozen texture softer.
Candied fruit: Contributes sweetness, chewy texture and concentrated fruit flavor.