Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Apple Slices
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dough
Crumble flour, salt and shortening as for pie dough.
Combine lemon juice and water with beaten egg yolks, then add to the flour mixture to make a soft dough.
Divide dough into two portions.
Assemble the pie
Mix apples with remaining ingredients.
Roll out one portion and fit into pan, bringing it up on the sides.
Lay apples in a row on the bottom crust and cover with the top crust.
Bake and finish
Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes.
While still warm, brush with thin icing (made by mixing ingredients listed above).
Cut into squares.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Apple | 1 medium (182g) | 95 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
-
Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Apple + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,598 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Lemon + nutmegtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,318 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Lemon + cinnamontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,950 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 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
- Flour
- Forms the structure of the crust when combined with liquid and fat.
- Shortening
- Fat that tenderises the crust by coating flour particles and limiting gluten.
- Egg yolks
- Add richness and help bind the dough together.
- Apples
- Provide the bulk and tart fruit flavour of the filling.
- Granulated sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps it caramelise during baking.
The step that matters
Bringing the top crust together over the apples. The dough is soft and the filling is juicy, so sealing the edges firmly keeps the filling from leaking and the crust from turning soggy during baking.
Swap the apple
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, egg, lemon, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg):
- Raisinfits better
- Vanillafits better
- Blueberryfits better
- Applethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, egg, lemon, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg. 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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