• Spices and extracts for baking ( 2 Articles )
    It’s amazing what a difference good, fresh spices can make to baked goods. We follow one rule of thumb: Your nose knows. When you open the cinnamon jar, it should shout, “Cinnamon!” If you can barely smell the difference between the allspice and the nutmeg, it’s time to dump the spices and start over.

    Vanilla and other extracts: Extracts cost more than artificial flavorings, usually for good reason. While the artificial flavorings come very close to their natural cousins, they can tend to be more "one-note," less complex flavors.

    Even real extracts vary widely. The best extracts contain only the natural flavor and alcohol. Many extracts also contain corn syrup or other sweeteners. This is acceptable as long as the sweetener is not predominant.

    A variety of extracts and flavorings besides vanilla are available: almond, anise, chocolate, coconut, lemon, maple, orange, peppermint, and rum. Some are available in supermarkets, but you may have to try a cookware shop or specialty food shop for extracts such as coconut or chocolate.

    Extracts enhance the flavors of similar ingredients. We often add a little chocolate extract to chocolate cookies, or a drop or two of lemon or orange extract to doughs that contain lemon or orange zest.