Why it works: Milk and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Rice 'n Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 400°F and grease or line muffin cups.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Make and bake the batter
Stir in cooked brown rice, shredded cheese, milk, honey, melted butter, and beaten egg until dry ingredients are moistened; batter will be lumpy.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling about two-thirds full.
Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Finish and serve
Run a knife around the edges to loosen; immediately remove muffins from pan.
Serve warm.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| 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.
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Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Rice + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,374 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Cheese + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + honeytop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,336 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity).
-
Cheese + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Provides the main structure that holds the muffins together as they bake.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter so the muffins rise and become light.
- Egg
- Binds the batter and adds structure as it sets in the oven.
- Honey
- Adds sweetness and moisture, and helps the crust brown.
- Melted butter
- Adds fat for tenderness and rich flavor.
- Cheddar or american cheese
- Adds savory flavor and melts into the batter, giving richness.
The step that matters
Stir only until the dry ingredients are moistened. Overmixing develops gluten in the flour, which makes muffins tough and tunnelled. The batter should stay lumpy, so stop stirring as soon as the dry ingredients are moistened.
“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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