Why it works: Cream and sugar 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 ↓
Blancmange
Ingredients
Directions
Make the base
Simmer the sweet and bitter almonds in the boiling milk.
Add the isinglass and stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat and mix in the cream.
Add brandy if desired.
Strain and set
Strain the mixture into a clean jug to remove any sediment.
Let it cool before pouring into a mold.
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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Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Milk + brandytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,738 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
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Cream + brandytop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,635 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
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Cream + almondtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,130 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
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Milk + almondtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,800 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Isinglass
- Sets the liquid into a firm, tender jelly as it cools.
- Cream
- Adds richness and a smooth, soft texture to the set custard.
- Sweet almonds
- Flavour the milk and give the blancmange its nutty taste.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base that the isinglass sets.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the blancmange.
The step that matters
Strain the mixture into a clean jug. Straining removes almond bits and any sediment, which would otherwise leave a gritty texture in the smooth, set dessert.
“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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