Why it works: Egg and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Wine Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Layer the cakes
In a bowl, combine the macaroons and split lady fingers in layers.
Start with a layer of macaroons, then a layer of lady fingers, and repeat.
Make the sauce
In a saucepan, beat the egg yolks with sugar to taste.
Add the red wine and a little water if the wine is very strong, then bring to a boil.
Assemble and serve
Pour the sauce over the layered cakes.
Beat the egg whites and spread them on top, or add whipped cream for extra flavor.
Serve immediately, as it should not sit for too long.
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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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sugar + red winetop 32% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together864 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Egg + red winetop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together552 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
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the wine sauce and add richness as they heat.
- Red wine
- Provides the main liquid and flavor of the sauce.
- Macaroons
- Soak up the sauce and give the pudding a soft, moist body.
- Lady fingers
- Absorb the sauce and hold the layers together with a soft texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the egg yolk mixture and balances the wine's acidity.
- Egg whites
- Beaten and spread on top, they add a light, airy topping.
The step that matters
Bringing the sauce to a boil. Egg yolks thicken as they heat, but if they get too hot they can curdle or scramble. Heat the wine mixture carefully and keep it moving so the sauce stays smooth.
“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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