It's time for stollen, gingerbread, punch, mulled wine, and cookies. Just the thought awakens memories. How it smells like cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla in the kitchen. It warms my heart right away.
Which spices do I need for Christmas baking?
In Christmas baking, aromatic spices are needed for the success of cookies and cakes. Typical spices include: cinnamon, cardamom pods, nutmeg, mace, cloves, allspice, star anise, anise seeds, tonka beans, vanilla, and last but not least, saffron threads.
Cinnamon - cinnamon sticks or ground. Cassia or Ceylon
There are two different qualities of cinnamon - Cassia cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is cheaper and has a more intense aroma than Ceylon cinnamon, but it also contains more coumarin. Due to its higher coumarin content, it is considered inferior. If you are baking for children or chronically ill individuals, it is better to choose Ceylon cinnamon, as coumarin is metabolized by the liver and may not be well tolerated by children and chronically ill individuals.
For baking, I recommend buying ground cinnamon as it is finely ground and spreads nicely in the dough. However, if you want to make an aromatic punch, I recommend using cinnamon sticks.
Cardamom Pods
The small seeds inside the cardamom pods have a sweet and spicy aroma and are used in speculoos and cookies. Only remove the seeds from their pods just before using them. The pods protect their aroma. Place the small black seeds in a mortar and crush them. Cardamom also tastes great in hot chocolate.
Nutmeg & Mace
Nutmeg is not actually a nut but the seed of an apricot-like fruit. The covering around the seed is called mace or nutmeg flower. Both are used as spices for gingerbread and Christstollen.
Cloves - Clove Spices
Cloves are the dried flower buds of the clove tree and have a very intense taste. Their flavor is fruity-spicy, bitter to peppery. When chewed, they leave a numb feeling in the mouth, which is also good for toothaches. Due to their intensity, they should be used sparingly for seasoning. They definitely belong in Christmas pastries and mulled wine.
Star Anise
Not only beautiful to look at but also wonderfully spicy with a taste similar to licorice. Star anise is the dried fruit of a magnolia-like tree that grows in China. It resembles a star. Whether whole or ground, it adds flavor to savory dishes as well as sweet Christmas treats. It belongs in mulled wine, gingerbread, and pepper nuts.
Anise Seeds
Anise has a delicious licorice-like aroma and is simply a must for the cold season. It is often enjoyed as a warming tea or used as a spice for Christmas baking. It enhances cookies, gingerbread, and speculoos.
Tonka Bean
The Brazilian tonka bean has a vanilla-like aroma and is the spice for our bakery in times when it is difficult to find good, affordable vanilla. Grind it like a nutmeg on a grater and let yourself be seduced by its unique aroma.
Vanilla
The classic Christmas spice. Its chocolate-like and slightly floral scent is unique among spices. It's no wonder it is known as the queen of spices. Graceful, it is the seed pod of an orchid. Its production is elaborate and purely manual.
Saffron - Makes the cake yellow!
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. For one kilogram of saffron threads, a staggering 80,000 to 150,000 crocus flowers are needed. Each flower produces only three saffron threads.
Saffron has a slightly bitter taste and imparts a beautiful yellow color to dishes.
Buy Christmas spices conveniently online at the Orlandosidee Spice Shop.