Sweet Baking Spice
This fragrant baking blend splits the difference between pumpkin pie spice and apple pie spice, adding a bit of white pepper for some gentle heat, and cardamom for its deep, bright perfume. You can use a teaspoon or two in pies (apple, pumpkin and beyond), fruit and nut cakes and tortes, and all manner of cookies (especially shortbread). Or knead some into sweet breads like challah and brioche. Smaller amounts are wonderful sprinkled onto hot chocolate and rice pudding, and the blend will add depth to homemade ice cream when steeped in the custard before freezing.
- Total:
- Serves: 1 person
Ingredients
- 2(2-inch/5-gram) cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
- 1tablespoon/8 grams green cardamom pods
- 1whole nutmeg (2 grams)
- ¾teaspoon/1 gram whole allspice berries
- ½teaspoon/3 grams white peppercorns
Instructions
Step 1
Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add the spices and toast, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.Step 2
Using a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle, grind the cooled spices until fine. If you like, you can strain the mix through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any coarse bits, but this is optional. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.