Why it works: Almond and raisin are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,781 recipes. Both carry 2-nonanone, which smells fruity, floral. The science ↓
Tutti Pruitti Frosting
Ingredients
Directions
In a saucepan, combine water and sugar; boil until very thick and waxy.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to a stiff froth.
Pour the hot syrup over the beaten egg whites, beating until cool.
Fold in the chopped almonds, raisins, and sliced citron.
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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Almond + raisintop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,781 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
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Sugar + raisintop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + almondtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Egg + raisintop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,556 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
- Sugar
- Forms a thick, waxy syrup that sets the frosting and gives it sweetness.
- Egg whites
- Whipped to a stiff froth, they give the frosting its light, airy structure.
- Almonds
- Add crunch and body to the frosting through their texture.
- Raisins
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness.
The step that matters
Pouring the hot syrup over the egg whites. The syrup must be hot and poured slowly while beating, so it cooks the egg whites and forms a stable, glossy foam; if added too fast or allowed to cool, the foam can deflate or turn grainy.
“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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