When you one your favourite recipe book to look for a delicious warm dessert, it might be overwhelming to see the number of spices you will need. Baking requires you to use a variety of spices to bring some bittersweetness to desserts and bring out well-balanced taste profiles.

Here is a list of the most popular baking spices to have in your arsenal to create the best desserts for you and your family:

Allspice

While you might think allspice is a mixture of spices, it is one single spice that comes from dried berries of the pimento tree. Its name comes from the fact that it tastes like a combination of various spices, including cloves, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

Allspice is used in sweet and savoury dishes since it adds an excellent layer of dimension to gingerbread, spice cakes and other similar recipes.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a must-have spice for all your baking needs. It is a versatile spice that brings your desserts a warm, delicious flavour. Cinnamon is a staple for many savoury and sweet recipes, like the popular cinnamon crescent roll recipe that needs six ingredients.

You can purchase cinnamon when grounded or in sticks, use it while whole, or grind it to achieve intense flavour.

Cardamom

Cardamom is a smoky, sweet, spicy, complex and aromatic spice that comes from the dried pods of the plant of the ginger family. It is commonly used in savoury and sweet dishes in India and the Middle East. Cardamom is the main ingredient in garam masala, a common spice mix used worldwide.

There are two types of cardamom you can choose from. There is the black cardamom and green cardamom. Green cardamom is the most common type and is also called pure cardamom. Buying the spice as whole seeds are recommended since it tends to lose its flavour within a few months of grinding.

Ginger

The root of ginger is one of the most prized spices worldwide. It has many baking applications, like making ginger cookies or gingerbreads. It can be used in a wide variety of ways, including:

• Grated ginger is one of the most common ways of using fresh ginger.
• Ground ginger: the ginger root is dried and then ground to be used as a baking spice and in savoury dishes.
• Candied ginger is cooked in sugar syrup until tender and dusted with sugar. Candied sugar is often used in desserts and can be eaten as candy.

Ground Cloves

Cloves are a spice from dried unopen buds of the tropical evergreen tree. It can be used whole or ground to give a strong aromatic flavour that pairs exceptionally well with other spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, for many holiday recipes and savoury dishes such as Indian curries.

Star Anise

Star Anise is a star-shaped pod from the evergreen shrub in Southern China. It has been used as a spice for the last 3,000 years. It has a warm, sweet, spicy flavour similar to cloves, liquorice, and fennel seeds. Star Anise can be used as a whole pod or when ground up.

Add the spice to soups, marinades, or sauces and ensure you pull it out before serving. Ensure you do not let it simmer for too long since the pods have a strong flavour that can overpower your dish if cooked for too long.

Vanilla

Vanilla is among the most common flavour enhancers used in baking. It has a warm spicy flavour that is delightful in baked desserts. You can find the spices as an extract or as vanilla beans.

Are you looking to liven up your pantry? At ChefCo, we have all types of spices under the sun. We promise you will find what you want to elevate your dish. We also have different types of grains, foodstuffs, herbs, pulses and oils to make your food shopping easier under one roof.

References and Resources

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