Why it works: Apple and cinnamon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,598 recipes. Both carry methyl cinnamate, which smells strawberry. The science ↓
Missouri Rice-Apple Crisp
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Combine rice, apples, lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
Spoon mixture into a buttered shallow 2-quart baking dish.
Make the topping
Mix flour and remaining 1/2 cup sugar.
Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
Stir in nut meats.
Bake and serve
Sprinkle topping over rice mixture.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until apples are tender.
Serve warm topped with whipped cream, if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Pecans | 1 oz (28g / ~19 halves) | 196 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Apple | 1 medium (182g) | 95 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Walnut | 1 walnut half (4g) | 26 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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 their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Apple + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,598 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Rice + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,137 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Lemon + cinnamontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,950 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Cinnamon + pecanstop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,047 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Cinnamon + flourtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,341 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Apples
- Soften as they bake and release juices that moisten the filling.
- Cooked rice
- Adds bulk and a soft, tender body to the filling.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and moisture, and helps the topping brown.
- Butter
- Fat that coats the flour and helps the topping turn crisp and golden.
- All-purpose flour
- Provides structure so the butter and sugar form a crumbly topping.
- Pecans or walnuts
- Add crunch and a toasty, nutty flavor to the topping.
The step that matters
Cut in the butter until crumbly. Keeping the butter in small, distinct pieces lets it melt and fry the flour as it bakes, producing a crisp, crumbly topping. Overworking it into a paste makes the topping dense and greasy rather than crisp.
Swap the pecans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, apple, lemon, sugar, cinnamon, flour, butter):
- Almondfits better
- Chestnutfits better
- Chickpeafits better
- Pecansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, apple, lemon, sugar, cinnamon, flour, butter. 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.
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