Baking Class - Introduction to Star Anise

This is a little bit of an odd Top Ten list, but I thought I'd take you through my baking cupboard (yes, I have an entire cupboard dedicated solely to baking supplies...um, and another cupboard...and a 4-tier rolling rack...but I digress). Since a Top Ten list would make this blog post too long, I'm splitting the posts up into several individual posts, showcasing one spice at a time.

Next up: STAR ANISE!

 

Star anise is a lovely, fragrant, exotic little spice that is definitely named appropriately, with its star shape and licorice flavour that is similar to, but stronger and slightly more bitter than regular anise seed. 

Star anise is the seed pod of a small evergreen tree (Illicium Verum), grown in southwestern China and Japan. It is dark, rusty brown in colour, and stands about one inch high with seven to eight segments. 

Like regular anise, star anise gets its distinctive licorice taste from a chemical compound called anethol; however the two are not related botanically, as star anise is a member of the Magnolia family.

Star anise is utilized for both culinary and medicinal purposes. In culinary applications, you can find it in exotic spice blends such as masala chai tea and Chinese Five Spice, and in dishes like Vietnamese Pho and numerous Indian curries and stews.

In traditional Chinese medicine, star anise is often prescribed to cure colicky babies and is often used as a digestive aid for adults as well. More recently, the compounds found in star anise have been extracted to form the base of the antiviral Tamiflu drug which fights avian influenza. Go Team Spice!

Star anise is usually available in Asian supermarkets, or in bulk food stores which sell spices (such as Bulk Barn here in Ontario). Look for whole, unbroken pods; stored properly in a sealed container in a cool, dry place, this spice should last for several months. Discard the pods once their aroma fades.  

According to Food.com, star anise pairs well with: duck, eggs, fish, leeks, pastry, pears, pork, poultry, pumpkin, and shrimp. While I've not personally used this spice in non-baking recipes, I do know that a popular and delicious fancy-company-dessert recipe involves poaching pears in liquid that contains star anise pods. Yum.

But, since I like to bake more than I like to poach, and it's my blog (heheh), here is a great recipe from Epicurious Magazine (June 1999) for a fragrant, rich spice cake that will definitely showcase the flavourful complexities of star anise!

Star Anise and Coriander Spice Cake

Original recipe source: Epicurious Magazine June 1999

Yield: Serves 10 to 12

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 5 points of star anise
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup uncooked farina such as Cream of Wheat*
• 1 large egg
• 2 large yolks
• 2/3 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan.
2. Into a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. In an electric coffee/ spice grinder finely grind coriander seeds and star anise. 
4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture, ground spices, and remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high and beat batter 3 minutes. 
5. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven until cake pulls away slightly from side of pan, about 50 minutes. 
6. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan. Invert another rack onto cake and turn cake right side up. Cool cake completely. 
7. Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries macerated in Cointreau and a spoon of brown sugar.

*Farina is a very finely ground wheat that only utilizes the endosperm and the germ of the wheat kernel. It may be possible to substitute the farina with an equal quantity of almond meal, as there is plenty of wheat flour in the recipe already; however I have not personally tried this substitution so I'm unsure as to whether it will promote a successful product...therefore CAVEAT EMPTOR.

If/when I have the opportunity to try this substitution, I will update this post with my findings and new pictures!

Baking Class - Introduction to Nutmeg and Mace

This is a little bit of an odd Top Ten list, but I thought I'd take you through my baking cupboard (yes, I have an entire cupboard dedicated solely to baking supplies...um, and another cupboard...and a 4-tier rolling rack...but I digress). Since a Top Ten list would make this blog post too long, I'm splitting the posts up into several individual posts, showcasing one spice at a time.

Next up: NUTMEG AND MACE!

The nutmeg tree is an evergreen tree that is native to both the Spice Islands of Indonesia, and Kerala, India, and is important for two spices from the same fruit; nutmeg and mace. 
 

Nutmeg is the seed of the tree, and mace is the dried, lacy, waxy red covering around the nutmeg seed, commonly known as the aril.  They both have similar, yet distinctly different flavour profiles; nutmeg is described as slightly sweeter, whereas mace has a more delicate, sweet-spicy, peppery flavour.

Like most spices, nutmeg is recommended to be purchased whole, then ground or grated with a fine-holed grater as needed. Whole dried mace is referred to as a blade, and is preferred for fine cooking and baking but is not readily available whole. However ground mace is still very fragrant and worth buying.  Mace is often used for dishes to impart a bright mustard yellow hue, and nutmeg is used in many sweet and savoury dishes; nutmeg is a traditional ingredient in mulled wine, mulled cider, and eggnog. Both spices are even main ingredients in Scottish haggis! (*blergh*)

"If it's no' Scottish, it's CRRRAP!"

Many people have heard that nutmeg can be a drug; however, in low doses, nutmeg has no drug-like effects. In its raw form, large doses of freshly grated nutmeg can induce a psychoactive response, such as delirium, hallucinations, visual distortions, euphoria, and paranoia. However, before anyone starts injecting or snorting heroic amounts of nutmeg on the strength of my breathless prose (/sarcasm), the downside to a nutmeg "high" can include dizziness, nausea, convulsions, palpitations, dehydration, dry mouth, bloodshot eyes, and memory disturbances.

Woo, good times...

Ok, enough about that! Let's get some recipes on this post so you too can experience the (totally legal) joys of nutmeg and mace!

Spicy Gingerbread Cake

Yield: One 9-inch square cake (12 to 14 servings) 

Original recipe courtesy of Stephanie Jaworski at joyofbaking.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes 

*Note: All ingredients (except whipping cream) are presumed to be at room temperature*

• 2 1/4 cups cake & pastry flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground mace
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Zest of 1 lemon (outer yellow skin of lemon)
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven.  Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan with 2 inch sides. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and all the spices.
3. In bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the lemon zest and molasses and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients and milk, alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat just until incorporated.
   
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan.  Let cool completely.
5. To serve, whip cream with vanilla until thickened, then sprinkle icing sugar over cream in steady motion until cream is at a medium to stiff peak. Serve squares of gingerbread cake with dollops of sweetened whipped cream.

Baking Class: Introduction to Ginger

This is a little bit of an odd Top Ten list, but I thought I'd take you through my baking cupboard (yes, I have an entire cupboard dedicated solely to baking supplies...um, and another cupboard...and a 4-tier rolling rack...but I digress). Since a Top Ten list would make this blog post too long, I'm splitting the posts up into several individual posts, showcasing one spice at a time.

Next up: GINGER!

Ginger is fantastic; used for centuries to relieve all sorts of ills, ginger has been an ancient and revered medicine in Indian and Asian cultures for thousands of years. This knobbly rhizome (commonly referred to as ginger root, though it is not actually a root) is available in several forms and preparations, and is used in millions of medicinals, tinctures, and both savoury and sweet recipes. It is inexpensive in most parts of the world compared to many other spices, and a little goes a long way.

Ginger is considered an herb when used for medicinal purposes, but its fresh, dried, ground/powdered, preserved, pickled. and crystallized forms are considered spices when they are used for flavouring.  For the purposes of this post, I will not be writing about dried, pickled, or preserved ginger, as they are used mainly for either savoury recipes (dried), sushi (pickled) or Asian confections and baking (preserved).

The flavour profile of ginger is peppery and slightly sweet, with a pungent and spicy aroma. Fresh ginger and ground ginger have significantly different flavour profiles, however, and are not usually interchangeable with one another in a recipe, although they can be used together.

As for its medicinal preparations, ginger combats several types of inflammation very effectively, and most popularly has been used to relieve the symptoms of gastric upset since time immemorial; ginger ale (especially flat) calms down an irritated stomach lining and soothes heartburn. For more information on the health benefits of ginger, you can check out this article.

Ginger root is the original plant form, and as mentioned above, it is the rhizome, or underground stem of the plant as opposed to seeds or pods like most spices. Fresh ginger should be firm to the touch, have no darkened, dried out or icky-looking nodules, and be fairly weighty in your hand. Discard any ginger that doesn't conform to this, as it is either old or diseased.   

Fresh ginger is very fibrous and quite intensely spicy to the tongue; when deciding whether to use fresh ginger in a new recipe, use discretion in how you prepare it. Nobody wants a huge chunk of spicy ginger fibers stuck in their teeth or tickling their trachea!  A good rule of thumb to go by is if it's to be strained out of the final preparation (for example a tea or an infusion), then sliced or diced is fine, but if using directly in any other good, sweet or savoury, finely grating the root with a Microplane-style fine grater is always best to remove or break down as much of that fiber as possible.

Ground ginger is very common in many baking recipes and Asian cooking, though I'll only be speaking about baking recipes (so nyeah). I've noticed that ground ginger seems to make its most memorable appearances during North American Thanksgiving and European Christmas holiday seasons, starring in such classic favourites as gingerbread men and pumpkin pie. Commercially ground ginger is usually quite good, and it's worth having some in your cupboards; as always, store in a cool, dry place (not the fridge or freezer!), and use up your stash within 6 months to a year, before the flavour fades.

Crystallized or candied ginger is delicious on its own as a snack, a "natural" breath enhancer, or an alternative to Tums or Pepto Bismol. It's also great to bake with, as you can imagine! The candying process "softens" the fibrous rhizome slices, and preserves them from drying out or going bad for months.

You can easily make your own candied ginger with little more than a basic kitchen set-up and a couple of hours of your time; here's a link to a great recipe for Candied Ginger by one of my culinary heroes, Alton Brown. However, if you prefer to purchase your ginger pre-candied, then there are some stores that sell good quality candied ginger.  Try to find an unsulphured version if you can; although it's not as shelf stable as sulphured ginger, I find it does taste better.  In the US, I believe you can find the unsulphured version at Trader Joes, and in Canada, Bulk Barn sometimes has an unsulphured candied ginger available. For online sources, I would check Penzey's Spices in the US, and Vanilla Food Company in Canada.

And now for a true ginger recipe that showcases all THREE types of baking ginger; fresh, ground, and crystallized.  I present to you my own creation, Triple Ginger Fruitsations Cookies!

...ok, the name still needs work.  I'm still quite proud of them, however; I created them for a cookie contest back in 2008 and I won 3rd prize, so not bad, eh? *beaming smile* Sadly, the photo of these marvels has been lost to the sands of time, but if I get around to making these again, I'll be sure to post a pic and update this post!

Triple Ginger Fruitsations Cookies

Original recipe by A.J. York, Owner, Sweet Surrender Desserts

Yield: 36 cookies

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda, dissolved in 4 tbsp boiling water
• 2 cups + 2 tbsp cake flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp finely grated fresh ginger root
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, finely diced
• ½ cup dried fruit, finely diced (ex. cranberries, apricots, mangoes, cherries, and/or raisins)
• Extra dried fruit for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare pans by covering with parchment paper or non-stick silicone sheet (Silpat).
2. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.  Add dissolved baking soda and mix until combined, then flour, salt, ground and fresh ginger.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Add vanilla, crystallized ginger and dried fruit mix to dough and mix briefly to combine.
3. Form dough into 1 tsp. sized balls and place about 3" apart on prepared pans (they spread).  Press each ball down with a flat-bottom glass dipped in granulated sugar; decorate each flattened cookie with a small amount of reserved dried fruit and crystallized ginger.
4. Refrigerate for ½ hour while on pans, or until firm.
5. Bake for about 15-18 minutes; rotate pans halfway through baking time.  These cookies brown quickly, so keep an eye on them in the last minutes of baking.
6. The cookies will be very soft when straight out of the oven; let cool on sheet on baking rack for 5 minutes, then transfer gently to rack until completely cool.  Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

Baking Class: Introduction to Cardamom

This is a little bit of an odd Top Ten list, but I thought I'd take you through my baking cupboard (yes, I have an entire cupboard dedicated solely to baking supplies...um, and another cupboard...and a 4-tier rolling rack...but I digress). Since a Top Ten list would make this blog post too long, I'm splitting the posts up into several individual posts, showcasing one spice at a time.

Everyone has their own favourite spices that they tend to use almost exclusively in all of their baking (I dare you to find someone without a container or packet of cinnamon in their cupboard!), but sometimes a change can work wonders. If you're looking to jazz up any of your tried-and-true recipes, or just haven't found a reason to try that new spice you saw in the grocery store, over the next several posts, I will not only list my favourite spices and give you their flavour profiles, but I'll also link to some really good baking recipes that use the spice.  It's my hope that some of my readers will try something new, which could lead to a whole new world of awesome baking!

...well, I can try, at least.

A few general words on how to buy and store your baking spices:
Like most spices, buying whole, fresh or recently dried pods/seeds and grinding them at home just before you need them is usually the best course of action, but if whole is not available, ground will make do. My recommendation is to buy only small amounts of pre-ground spice at a time (bulk stores may have it in the spice aisle), store in a cool, dry place, and use it up within 6 months. 

First up: CARDAMOM!

Cardamom

I put cardamom first on my list, as it's my absolutely favourite spice next to vanilla. I was introduced to it while in pastry school, and completely fell in love with its flavour profile and its somewhat exotic nature.

Cardamom seems to be the trendy "spice of the moment"in the culinary world (both cooking and baking), with one article claining consumption of the spice is up an amazing 657% in the last two decades! It is being used more and more in savoury dishes as opposed to only in baking recipes during the winter holidays.

There are two distinct types of cardamom:  Eletarria cardamom, known as green, or true cardamom, and is the type most often seen in North America; and Amomum cardamom, which includes black cardamom, brown cardamom, kravan, Java cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Siamese cardamom, white cardamom, and red cardamom. Each has their own subtle flavour differences from one another, but in Canada, the green cardamom pods seem to be the most available.  Again, as above, if pre-ground is all you can get, then so be it, but keep in mind that a) cardamom quickly loses its flavour once ground, and b) often the pre-ground cardamom found in grocery stores is a cheaper variety where the pods and seeds are ground together, as opposed to just the high quality seeds. For recipes that require whole cardamom pods, 10 pods yield about 1-1/2 teaspoons of ground cardamom.

Cardamom is one of the most expensive spices by weight, with only saffron and vanilla more so.

Garam Masala blend

Cardamom is used primarily in Danish baking, as well as North African, Saudi Arabian, Asian and Indian cooking, and in spice blends such as garam masala, berbere, and curry powder. I personally tend to use cardamom as a substitute for cinnamon in much of my baking, as it has a somewhat similar flavour profile, yet with that indefinable "wow" factor that really gives it a kick and has people coming back for more!

Cardamom is noted as floral, soapy and perfume-like, with grapefruit notes (I tend to think of it as if cinnamon and pink peppercorns had a love child). It is similar to ginger, and has a menthol undertone.

Allrecipes.com notes the perfect spice partners with cardamom as allspice, black and red pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, fennel, ginger, paprika, saffron, and turmeric.

Now for the recipe!  This delicious cookie from Bon Appétit Magazine really showcases this amazing spice. Give it a try and let me know in the comments how you liked it; it's a great Christmas baking recipe.

Cardamom Crescents

Original source: Bon Appétit Magazine

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, divided
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1. Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 heavy duty baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. 
3. Combine 1/2 cup icing sugar and pecans in a food processor; pulse until coarse meal forms. 
4. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until creamy, 2–3 minutes. Add nut mixture; beat to blend. Add dry ingredients; blend well (dough will be moist but still crumbly).
5. Transfer to a work surface; knead to form a ball, about 4 turns.
6. Measure 1 rounded tbsp. of dough; form into a ball, then roll into a 1 1/2"-long log. Gently bend into a crescent shape, pinching ends to taper (cookies may crack slightly). Repeat with remaining dough, spacing about 1" apart on prepared sheets.
7. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through baking, until bottoms are golden 12–15 minutes. 
8. Sift remaining 1 cup powdered sugar into a shallow wide bowl. Working in batches of about 8 cookies each, roll warm cookies gently in powdered sugar to coat. Transfer to wire rack to let cool. 
9. Roll or dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar a second time for full coverage.

Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.