Why it works: Flour and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Dessert Crepes
16 to 18 crepesIngredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat with a rotary beater until blended.
Cook the crepes
Heat a lightly greased 6‑inch skillet.
Remove from heat.
Spoon in 2 tablespoons of batter; lift and tilt the skillet to spread the batter.
Return to heat; brown on one side.
Invert the pan over paper toweling; remove the crepe.
Repeat to make 16 to 18 crepes, greasing the skillet each time.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| 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.
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Bind the batter and add structure to the thin crepes as they set.
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the starch and gluten that give the crepes their body.
- Milk
- Supplies the liquid that hydrates the flour and makes the batter pourable.
- Oil
- Adds fat for tenderness and helps keep the crepes from sticking.
- Sugar
- Adds mild sweetness and helps the crepes brown lightly in the pan.
The step that matters
Spread the batter quickly in the skillet. Tilting the skillet right after pouring spreads the batter into a thin, even layer. If the batter sits or the pan is too hot, it sets unevenly, giving thick or tough crepes.
“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
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 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.