Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and 11,917 recipes mention both. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
The recipe
36 muffinsIngredients
Contains: wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Make the batter
In bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt; reserve.
In separate bowl combine applesauce, sugar, egg substitute and oil; mix well.
Stir into flour mixture and mix just to blend.
Fold in Wild Blueberries.
Fill and bake
Scoop (#20) 1/4-cup batter into each greased 1/3-cup muffin tin (36 total).
In another bowl combine oatmeal, sugar, oil and cinnamon; mix well.
Sprinkle 1 heaping tsp. over each muffin and bake in 400°F conventional oven or 375°F convection oven 20-24 minutes or until firm to the touch.
Serve warm.
This recipe comes from the Recipes Wiki on Fandom and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Our formatting and summaries are shared under the same licence.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together14,027 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together7,711 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Cinnamon + allspicetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Allspice + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together3,331 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cake flour
- Provides the structure that holds the muffin crumb together as it bakes.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter so the muffins rise and become light.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acidic applesauce and sugar to help the muffins rise and brown.
- Applesauce
- Adds moisture and tenderness, and its acidity helps the baking soda react.
- Egg substitute
- Binds the batter and helps set the crumb structure as it bakes.
- Canola oil
- Adds fat that keeps the muffins moist and tender after baking.
The step that matters
Mix the batter just to blend. Once the flour meets the liquids, gluten starts to form. Overmixing toughens the batter and gives dense, tunneled muffins, so stop stirring as soon as the flour is combined.
Flavor stand-ins for the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sugar, egg, canola oil):
- Clovethe original
- Cardamomabout as good a flavor fit
- Gingerabout as good a flavor fit
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, sugar, egg, canola oil. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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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