Name: Supeeiok Eeceipt for Almond Pudding
Ingredients: 10 egg yolks; 7 egg whites; ½ pound sweet almonds, finely pounded; ½ pound white sugar; ½ ounce bitter almonds; 1 tablespoon orange flower water; Powdered sugar for topping; Clarified sugar with orange flower water for topping (optional)

Why it works: Almond and orange are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,125 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Supeeiok Eeceipt for Almond Pudding

Oven, in the book's wordsA brisk oven

Ingredients

10 egg yolks
7 egg whites
½ pound sweet almonds, finely pounded
½ pound white sugar
½ ounce bitter almonds
1 tablespoon orange flower water
Powdered sugar for topping
Clarified sugar with orange flower water for topping (optional)

Directions

The book says “a brisk oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Beat the yolks of 10 eggs and the whites of 7 eggs until well combined.
Add ½ pound of finely pounded sweet almonds, ½ pound of white sugar, ½ ounce of bitter almonds, and 1 tablespoon of orange flower water. Mix thoroughly.
Grease a baking dish and pour in the pudding mixture.

Bake and serve

Bake in the preheated oven until done.
Once baked, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top or pour over clarified sugar mixed with orange flower water for a finer finish.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Almond + orangetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,125 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Almond + sugartop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,679 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Sugar + orangetop 20% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together19,212 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together122,807 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg + almondtop 25% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together12,645 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

Sugar and orange barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,212 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

Egg yolks: Add richness and help bind the pudding as it sets.
Egg whites: Whipped into the batter to give the pudding a light, airy structure.
Sweet almonds: Provide the bulk and nutty flavour of the pudding.
White sugar: Sweetens the pudding and aids browning on the surface.
Bitter almonds: Add a concentrated almond aroma and a slightly bitter note.