Why it works: Apple and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,551 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Apple Tarts
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the filling
Peel, quarter, core, and boil the apples in ½ cup of water until very soft.
Mash the apples until smooth, then mix in the egg yolks (or whole eggs), lemon juice, lemon rind, butter, and sugar until well combined.
Bake and top
Line small tart tins with puff pastry and fill with the apple mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 5 minutes.
If desired, beat the egg whites with powdered sugar, spread on top of the tarts, and return to the oven to brown slightly.
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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Apple + lemontop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,551 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Apple + buttertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,706 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Lemon + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tart apples
- Provide the bulk of the filling, softening into a smooth purée when cooked and mashed.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the apple mixture as they set, giving the filling a rich, custard-like body.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smoother, softer texture in the filling.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and balances the tartness of the apples and lemon.
- Lemon juice and rind
- Add acidity and bright aroma that cut through the sweetness of the filling.
- Egg whites
- Whip into a foam that sets and lightly browns when returned to the oven for the optional topping.
The step that matters
Returning the topping to the oven. Egg whites whipped with powdered sugar brown quickly because the sugar caramelises at high heat. Watch closely so the topping turns golden without scorching, and keep the filling beneath from overbaking.
Swap the apple
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, lemon, butter, sugar):
- Vanillafits better
- Orangefits better
- Raspberryfits better
- Applethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, lemon, butter, sugar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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