Why it works: Almond and pistachio match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 693 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓
Nesselrode Pudding Glace
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the base
Pound the blanched almonds to a smooth paste.
In a large pot, scald the cream and mix it with the beaten eggs and almond paste.
Add the fruit and liquor
Once frozen, mix in the glazed fruits and the cognac and maraschino liqueurs.
To prevent the fruit from sticking, pour a portion of the liquor over it in a bowl and mix.
Mold and serve
To mold in a brick form, fill the mold (set in salt and ice) nearly full with the pudding, level the surface, and top with whipped cream and ground pistachio nuts.
Cover with wax paper to prevent sticking, and finish as you would other molded creams.
Serve in small cups or stem glasses with a dash of whipped cream and a sprinkle of ground pistachio nuts on top.
For whipped cream, ensure it is very cold, then beat to stiff peaks, adding a little sugar and vanilla after beating.
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 + pistachiotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together693 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Pistachio + nutstop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together425 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Almond + nutstop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together394 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Cream + sugartop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Cream + pistachiotop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together634 recipes
Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Blanched almonds
- Pounded into a paste, they give the pudding body and a rich nutty flavor.
- Rich cream
- Provides fat and richness, giving the pudding a smooth, creamy texture.
- Eggs
- Thicken the base when gently cooked and add structure and richness to the custard.
- Refined sugar
- Sweetens the pudding and softens its texture as it freezes.
- Glazed fruits
- Add sweetness, chew and color through the frozen cream.
- Cognac brandy
- Adds aroma and flavor, and its alcohol keeps the frozen dessert softer.
The step that matters
Pouring the liquor over the fruit before mixing. Glazed fruit is sticky and can clump or sink into the cream. Coating it with liquor first helps the pieces separate and distribute evenly through the frozen mixture.
Swap the nuts
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (almond, cream, sugar, egg, cognac brandy, pistachio):
- Chestnutfits better
- Cashew nutfits better
- Hazelnutfits better
- Nutsthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against almond, cream, sugar, egg, cognac brandy, pistachio. 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.
You might also like
Brandy Peaches68 recipes
Pistachio Ice Cream36 recipes
Almond Sponge Cake26 recipes
Almond Custard22 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.