Why it works: Rum and brandy are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,058 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Egg Nog
Ingredients
Directions
Make the base
Beat the yolks of the eggs until frothy.
Stir in the sugar and whip until well mixed.
Add the rum and let stand for 2 to 3 hours.
Finish and serve
When ready to serve, add the brandy.
Slowly stir in the whipped 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.
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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Rum + brandytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,058 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Sugar + rumtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,908 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Brandy + creamtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,635 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptanol (bitter, floral).
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Egg + brandytop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,340 recipes
Shared aroma: acetoin (butter, cream).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg yolks
- Provide richness and body, emulsifying with sugar to form a creamy base.
- White sugar
- Sweetens the base and helps stabilise the whipped yolks as they are beaten.
- Rum
- Adds aroma and flavour while standing, mellowing the base before serving.
- Brandy
- Adds warmth and aroma, added just before serving to keep its flavour fresh.
- Whipped cream
- Adds lightness and a smooth, airy texture, folded in gently to keep volume.
The step that matters
Slowly stir in the whipped cream. Whipped cream is a foam of trapped air. Stirring it in slowly and gently keeps the air bubbles intact, so the nog stays light rather than deflating into a dense liquid.
“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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