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 ↓
Almond Sticks
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Beat the eggs until very light.
Add the brown sugar and beat well.
Add the cloves, cinnamon, allspice, flour, almonds, vanilla, baking powder, and grated chocolate.
Bake and finish
Spread the mixture in a pan 1 inch thick and bake in a moderate oven.
Ice when cold and cut into strips 1 inch wide and 1 inch long.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chocolate | 1 oz (28g) semisweet | 155 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Almond | 1 almond (1.2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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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Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Clove + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,874 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Cinnamon + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,536 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Cinnamon + almondtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,514 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Cinnamon + vanillatop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,287 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Beaten eggs give the batter air and structure that sets as it bakes.
- Almonds
- Almonds add a firm, chewy texture and a nutty flavor.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking, helping the batter rise and lighten.
- Grated chocolate
- Adds richness and a deep, slightly bitter flavor to the bars.
The step that matters
Spread the mixture 1 inch thick and bake in a moderate oven. Even thickness lets the batter bake through at the same rate. Too thick a layer can stay gummy in the center while the edges over-brown, so the pan depth and oven heat need to match.
Swap the almond
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clove, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, chocolate, egg):
- Almondthe original
- Chestnutfits about as well
- Walnutfits less well
- Hazelnutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against clove, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, chocolate, egg. 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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