Why it works: Vanilla and coconut match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,294 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Cornstarch Custard
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Wet the cornstarch in a little of the milk.
Heat the remaining milk in a pot set over boiling water until near boiling.
Add the wet cornstarch to the hot milk, stirring constantly until it thickens.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, then add to the thickened mixture along with the butter and salt.
Cook while stirring briskly, then remove from heat and beat well.
Finish and serve
Add your chosen flavoring and serve with grated coconut if desired.
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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Vanilla + coconuttop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,294 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
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Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Milk + coconuttop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,648 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base that the cornstarch thickens into a custard.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the hot milk as its starch granules swell and gelatinize.
- Eggs
- Add richness and help set the custard as they cook.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the custard and softens its texture.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smoother, richer mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Adding the wet cornstarch to the hot milk. Stirring constantly keeps the starch dispersed so it thickens evenly. If it sits or clumps, lumps form and the custard turns uneven in texture.
Swap the coconut
The recipe marks coconut as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, sugar, egg, butter, vanilla):
- Figfits about as well
- Peachfits about as well
- Coconutthe original
- Strawberryfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, sugar, egg, butter, vanilla. 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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