Why it works: Clove and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,189 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Dutch Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash and trim the rhubarb, then cut into 1/2‑inch slices to yield about 3 ½ cups.
Place the sliced rhubarb in the unbaked pie shell.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, and spices.
Blend the evaporated milk with the melted butter, then add this mixture to the sugar mixture and pour all over the rhubarb.
Bake and serve
Bake at 400 °F for 25 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 375 °F and continue baking for another 25 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes, cover the pie with foil to prevent over‑browning of the crust.
Cool and serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Pie | not in our table | 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.
-
Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Rhubarb + cinnamontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together279 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Rhubarb + flourtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together670 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Clove + rhubarbtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together93 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
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
- Rhubarb
- Provides the tart flavor and the bulk of the pie filling.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps balance the tartness of the rhubarb.
- Flour
- Thickens the filling as it bakes, giving it body.
- Evaporated milk
- Adds moisture and richness to the filling, helping it set creamy.
- Pie shell
- Forms the crust that holds the filling and browns as it bakes.
The step that matters
Cover the pie with foil during the last 10 minutes. The crust browns faster than the filling sets. Covering it late in baking slows browning so the edge does not darken or burn before the filling is cooked through.
Swap the rhubarb
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clove, cinnamon, sugar, evaporated milk, flour, butter):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Allspicefits better
- Rhubarbthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against clove, cinnamon, sugar, evaporated milk, 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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