FRIDAYS HOLIDAY HACKS // FIVE SPICES TO MAKE ANYTHING TASTE LIKE THE HOLIDAYS Wintry spices give baked goods a holiday bite, main dishes a festive flair, and cocktails a jolly kick. So take stock of your spice cabinet and make sure you have the essentials: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and allspice. CINNAMON: The quintessential holiday spice. Sprinkle on top of yogurt or use it in your favorite sweet potatoes recipe. NUTMEG: Buy whole nutmeg and use a micro grater for the strongest flavor. Try brewing it in your morning coffee, or sprinkle it in your mug of eggnog.
GINGER: It’s not just for gingerbread cookies. Top vanilla ice cream with candied ginger for a holiday punch. Or you can add freshly grated ginger to roasted butternut squash recipes.
VANILLA: It’s anything but plain. Put a whole vanilla bean in a bowl of sugar to create vanilla-flavored sugar, then use when whipping fresh whipped cream. Not that ambitious? Just use a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
ALLSPICE: The spice that’s all that and more. This baked-goods staple is also great when sprinkled on buttered popcorn or stirred into a mug of warm apple cider. Another trick? Combine all the spices with a bottle of red wine and gently simmer for a quick and easy mulled wine.
