BRITISH MIXED SPICE
This famous British spice blend has been enjoyed in Christmas baking for several centuries. With both sweet and savory applications, you will love this deliciously versatile Mixed Spice blend!
Provided by Kimberly Killebrew
Categories Seasoning Blend Spice Mix
Time 5m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Combine all spices in an airtight glass jar and keep store in a dark cool place for up to several months.Makes about 1/4 cup of Mixed Spice.
MIXED SPICE - TRADITIONAL OLD FASHIONED ENGLISH PUDDING SPICE
The aromatic scent of holidays and Mum's home baking, mixed spice is an essential jar on the spice rack. Mixed spice is a blend of sweet spices traditionally used in English cooking to provide a warming backnote. This typically English spice mixture can be purchased ready-mixed, but I prefer to make my own, as I find it difficult to find in France and I have my own special blend. It is essential for fruit cakes, Christmas plum pudding, mincemeat and hot cross buns; mixed spice is also a great addition to other fruity desserts such as apple & fruit pies, crumbles and compotes. Try it in cream cheese desserts, pickles, chutneys and mulled wine too. Make it up and buy the spices needed in small quantities, as the mixture soon loses its full rich flavour. Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger are the usual blend of spices, but I sometimes like to add a few ground cardamom seeds as well as some ground coriander seeds. This spice mixture makes an unusual and attractive gift - tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar, with pretty paper and then add a seasonal recipe tag.
Provided by French Tart
Categories Berries
Time 5m
Yield 1 Small Jar
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Grind the allspice, cinnamon and cloves to a fine powder and then mix well with the ground nutmeg and ginger.
- Add the finely ground cardamom and corainder seeds, if using, and mix well again.
- Use at once or store in an airtight jar in a cool dry place, and away from light.
- Makes an unusual and attractive gift, especially at Christmas - add a recipe tag and tie a ribbon around the top of the jar with pretty seasonal paper or material.
BRITISH MIXED SPICE
This traditional English spice mixture is also referred to as pudding spice or cake spice, and is frequently used in holiday foods. Its closest relative may be the US pumpkin pie spice mixture which is an acceptable substitute if you're in a pinch. However, they may both have evolved from the medieval Powder Forte (the medieval...
Provided by Maureen Martin
Categories Seasoning Mixes
Time 10m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 1. Mix all ingredients well together and store in airtight container.
- 2. Feel free to adjust proportions to your liking. Other spices sometimes included are cardamom, caraway, and black or cayenne pepper. Can be used in breads, desserts, fruit dishes, and (as medieval people would have used it) in meats and other savory dishes. Start with extra small amounts until you know how your pallet reacts to it (see my recipe for Medieval Leeks and Mushrooms: instead of adding the spices listed there, use this mixture).
- 3. You can, of course, start with whole spices and grind them in a mortar and pestle or electric spice grinder (aka coffee grinder set apart for grinding only spices - nothing nastier than spices that taste of coffee! [although spice residue ~can~ make for yummy coffee...]). I would start with a 2" piece of cinnamon bark to see how it compares to the 2 teaspoons ground needed for this recipe. Adjust as necessary; some sticks are fatter than others. Whole nutmeg, of course, is best grated by hand (hold the knuckle cheese, please!), but well worth the effort at any time. Whole mace may be difficult to find, despite the fact they are from the same plant. If you want to go the extra mile, ginger is a fibrous root and would require drying before being ground. Only use fresh (un-dried) ginger if you aren't planning to store the mixture (or just leave it out of storage and add fresh to each dish as needed. Just remember to add it!).
- 4. Keeps over a year if stored cool*, dry, and dark (despite what some food snobs may say). Spices, after all, are used to preserve food. You can easily use it up to 2 years with a little degradation, but after that, some of the flavors may begin to go off and not meld properly, become bitter, or just plain fade (nutmeg and coriander are likely to fade first). Just don't leave it sitting on the counter with the lid off longer than a minute or so (yes, that little time, especially if you live in a humid climate). Moisture and air = fast track to stale dry goods. FYI, one plastic zipper bag is NOT sufficient for long term storage. If that's all you have, double bag it, being sure to press out all the air. *Not frozen or refrigerated! For some reason, cold temperatures (as opposed to cool) can unpleasantly alter flavors (learned that the hard way with coffee).
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