I believe that there is no truly tasty gingerbread cake nor cookie without a good quality mixture of spices.
I love the taste of cinnamon and cardamom enhanced with spicy ginger, pepper and allspice. I like it when the spices are noticeable in the dough. Unfortunately, most of the ready-made mixes are quite delicate and bland in taste. Some contain sugar, flavourings or – even worse – starch.
The recipe below guides you how to make a highly concentrated blend of flavours. I use it for cakes as well as for seasoning poultry, rice and coffee.
If you like a more delicate flavour, check the instructions on how to easily adjust the strength to your liking.
Give it a try. Homemade gingerbread spice is much better than purchased blends!
Gingerbread spice
Ingredients
- 60 g ground cinnamon
- 20 g dried ginger
- 10 g ground cardamon or the seeds
- 8-10 g ground nutmeg
- 8-10 g ground allspice
- 5 g black pepper
- 5 g dried orange zest optional
- 3-4 g star anise optional
Instructions
- All ingredients that are not already ground should be ground thoroughly and finely. This can be done in a coffee grinder, hand blender, or by hand in a mortar.Combine all the spices and mix well. You can transfer them into a tightly closed jar and shake well for a while until the ingredients are combined.The spice should be stored in an airtight container, in a dark and dry place
A few notes!
- This blend is very aromatic, distinct in flavour and rather peppery. It is not like most ready-made products in bags, where a filler is added, be it some sugar and sometimes even starch. If you don't know if you like the spicier flavour of the mix, try reducing the amount of nutmeg and allspice first and gradually add more to taste. You can also reduce the amount of pepper, although I would recommend not giving it up completely.Because the spice itself is not sweet, it is very versatile and goes great with Middle Eastern cuisine. I often add it to baked chicken or rice. It also goes well with lamb or beef meatballs. It perfectly complements the taste of winter coffee or foamy cocoa.
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