Why it works: Biscuit and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,332 recipes. Both carry nonanal, which smells fat, citrus. The science ↓
Jelly Puddings
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the batter
Scald the milk and pour it over the crumbs.
Beat the mixture until it is half cold.
Stir in the beaten egg yolks, then the egg whites, and finally the baking soda dissolved in boiling water.
Fill large cups half full with the batter.
Bake and fill
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 30 minutes.
Turn out the puddings quickly and make an incision in the side of each.
Pull the incision partly open and fill with a spoonful of conserve.
Pinch the edges to close and serve warm with sweetened cream.
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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Biscuit + milktop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,332 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Biscuit + eggtop 27% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,643 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Stale biscuit or bread crumbs
- Form the soft body of the pudding, absorbing the hot milk to set a tender crumb.
- Milk
- Moistens the crumbs and adds richness and softness to the batter.
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and help it set and rise as it bakes.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the batter to help it rise and lighten during baking.
- Jelly, jam, or marmalade
- Adds sweetness and fruity flavour in the centre of each pudding.
The step that matters
Folding in the baking soda and whites. Baking soda needs to be dissolved fully in boiling water and stirred in gently, so the batter rises evenly. Overmixing after the whites are added deflates the foam and leaves the puddings dense.
“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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