Spices, like magic ingredients, endow any dish with an inviting aroma and unique flavor. Baking is no exception. Depending on what spice you add to the confection, it is filled with exquisite tenderness or enthusiastic piquancy.
How important are baking spices?
The right spice can become your secret ingredient, and the confectionery masterpiece can become your calling card.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is quite popular in the spice world. It is the dried bark of a tree. It is sold in two forms: in the form of powder or twisted pieces of bark. Cinnamon has a rich aroma and is often used in desserts, liqueur and chocolate. As for baking, it is found in buns and pies. Apples with cinnamon go well.
The spicy-burning taste of this spice has been known in the East since antiquity. In large quantities, nutmeg is poisonous, but in small quantities it is suitable for cooking. It's hard not to appreciate the fragrant and tart notes that nutmeg brings. The baked goods acquire a rich and at the same time delicate taste. Especially with this spice, Christmas desserts work well. Finished ground nutmeg usually loses its flavor soon, it is better to take whole nuts and grind the required amount just before cooking.
The origins and uses of cardamom are shrouded in many myths. One of them suggests that cardamom was grown in the famous gardens of Babylon. Due to its incomparable aroma, cardamom quickly won the sympathy of confectioners. This spice is often used to make gingerbread cookies with candied fruits, almonds and honey. German pastry chefs add cardamom to Easter cakes. This tradition has been adopted by other national cuisines as well.
Caraway
Another popular spice, the history of the origin of which is still vague. Since ancient times, it has been used by many civilizations (Romans, Celts, Egyptians, peoples of India and Brazil), attaching great importance. And this is not surprising, because cumin is famous not only for its fragrant aroma, but also for its healing properties. Various national cuisines widely use ground cumin in the preparation of bread, pies, rolls and flat cakes.
The beautiful name oregano hides the common oregano. A fragrant and healthy spice has long been actively used in cooking. In European cuisine, oregano (a seasoning) is added to pizza and bread along with other herbs. Russian cuisine has adopted cupcakes, French quiche pies and Italian focaccia with the addition of oregano.
