Why it works: Flour and fig are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,192 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Fig Muffins
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Make and bake
In a pan, combine flour and shortening.
Add baking powder and chopped fig.
Wet with enough milk to form a dough.
Roll to the usual thickness and bake for 25 minutes.
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.
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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Flour + figtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,192 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 main structure that holds the muffins together as they bake.
- Shortening
- Fat that coats flour particles and gives the muffins a tender texture.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the oven, helping the muffins rise and become light.
- Fig
- Adds natural sweetness and a soft, moist texture to the muffins.
The step that matters
Wet with enough milk to form a dough. Add just enough liquid for the dough to hold together. Extra mixing or too much liquid develops gluten, which makes baked muffins tough and dense.
“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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