Heat butter and oil in large skillet, over MEDIUM heat. Add beef and brown, breaking apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Transfer to colander to drain.
Add onion and bell pepper to same skillet and cook 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Add beef back to the skillet and add tomato paste. Stir well.
Add ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
Cook over MEDIUM heat for 10-15 minutes, until mixture has thickened to your liking. Remove from heat and serve over toasted buns.
LINE 13 x 9-inch pan with aluminum foil; spray with no-stick cooking spray.
COMBINE sugar, butter and milk in large saucepan, stirring constantly on medium heat, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
ADD peanut butter. Stir until well blended. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Spread in prepared pan. Cool. Cut into candy-sized pieces.
Remove phyllo dough package from freezer and place in the fridge for 24 hours to thaw. Remove from fridge 1 hour before using.
When working with the phyllo dough, only remove the sheets you immediately need, keeping the other sheets covered in plastic wrap, then a damp cloth.
Toss together the chopped walnuts and cinnamon. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly butter a rectangular baking pan. Make sure the sheets of phyllo will generally fit the pan (if they’re a little bigger, that’s okay.) If they’re much bigger, just trim them with a sharp knife.
Butter the top sheet of phyllo with melted butter, and then grab it and the unbuttered sheet below it. Set the two sheets in the pan, buttered sheet face down. Press lightly into the pan. Repeat this twice more, so that you have six sheets of phyllo in the pan, three of the sheets buttered.
Sprinkle on enough walnuts to make a single layer. Butter two sheets of phyllo and place them on top of the walnuts. Add more walnuts, then two more buttered phyllo sheets. Repeat this a couple more times, or until you’re out of walnuts. Top with 4 more buttered phyllo sheets, ending with a buttered top. Cut a diagonal diamond pattern in the baklava using a very sharp knife.
Bake for 45 minutes until the baklava is golden brown.
While the baklava is baking, combine 1 stick of the butter, honey, water, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low.
When you remove the baklava from the oven, drizzle half the saucepan evenly all over the top. Allow it to sit and absorb for a minute, then drizzle on a little more until you think it’s thoroughly moistened.
Allow the baklava to cool, uncovered, for several hours. Once cool and sticky and divine, carefully remove them from the pan.
1 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, finely chopped
EASY VANILLA GLAZE
Whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 TBSP milk, ½ tsp vanilla extract, and a dash of table salt. Whisk in up to 1 tbsp milk, ½ tsp at a time until consistency is reached. makes 1½ cups.
Preparation
Combine milk, yeast, and 1/3 cup sugar in bowl of a stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes or until foamy. Gradually add 1 cup flour, beating at low speed until blended; scrape down sides. Add salt and 1 cup butter; beat at low speed until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour, beating until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat until dough forms a ball and begins to pull away from sides. Beat dough 2 more minutes or until smooth and elastic. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 minutes.
Place dough in a large greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (80° to 85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down, and turn out onto lightly floured parchment paper. Roll dough into a 12- x 18-inch rectangle.
Brush 6 Tbsp. soft butter over dough; sprinkle with chocolate and 1/2 cup sugar. Roll up dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting at 1 long side. Press edge to seal, and place dough, seam side down, on parchment paper.
Transfer parchment paper with dough onto a baking sheet. Shape rolled dough into a ring, pressing ends together to seal. Cut ring at 2-inch intervals, from outer edge up to (but not through) inside edge. Gently pull and twist cut pieces to show filling. Cover dough.
Let rise in a warm place (80° to 85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover dough. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter; brush over dough. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden. Cool on pan 10 minutes. Drizzle Easy Vanilla Glaze over warm bread.
These deep-gold scones are as tasty as they are pretty. Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg spice the dough; diced crystallized ginger and cinnamon chips take their flavor over the top.
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups (330g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, and allspice
8 tablespoons (113g) butter, cold
1 cup to 2 cups (184g to 369g) minced crystallized ginger, cinnamon chips, or cinnamon sweet bits
2/3 cup (152g) pumpkin purée
2 large eggs
coarse sparkling sugar, for topping
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Work in the butter just until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; it’s OK for some larger chunks of butter to remain unincorporated.
Stir in the ginger and/or chips/bits, if you’re using them.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs until smooth.
Add the pumpkin/egg to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.
Line a baking sheet with parchment; if you don’t have parchment, just use it without greasing it. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan.
Scrape the dough onto the parchment or pan, and divide it in half. Round each half into a 5″ circle (if you haven’t incorporated any add-ins); or a 6″ circle (if you’ve added 2 cups of fruit, nuts, etc.). The circles should be about 3/4″ thick.
Brush each circle with milk, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar.
Using a knife or bench knife that you’ve run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges.
Carefully pull the wedges away from the center to separate them just a bit; there should be about 1/2″ space between them, at their outer edges.
For best texture and highest rise, place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425°F.
Bake the scones for 22 to 25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, with no wet crumbs. If you pull one of the scones away from the others, the edges should look baked through, not wet or doughy.
Remove the scones from the oven, and serve warm. Wrap any leftovers airtight, and store at room temperature. Reheat very briefly in the microwave, if desired.
Not all cinnamon is the same. Here’s what you need to know about this essential spice.
Different types of cinnamon
Considering the arborous origins of cinnamon, it seems fitting to examine the main varieties of the spice through a family tree. But before we get started, it’s worth mentioning that these select few are deemed the “main” types of cinnamon due to their wide commercial availability in the U.S. There are, however, hundreds of local, non-commercial cinnamon varieties used for various purposes — baking, cooking, and medicine — all across the globe.
Cinnamon is split into two primary categories: Ceylon and cassia. Often referred to as “true cinnamon,” Ceylon (Cinnamomum verum) began the spice trade when it was originally unearthed in Sri Lanka during the Age of European Exploration. The cassia category, meanwhile, is broken down into the three main types: cassia, Saigon, and korintje, all of which share similarities in color, aroma, and spice level. Cassia cinnamons can hail from China (Cinnamomum cassia, or cassia), Vietnam (Cinnamomum loureirii, or Saigon), or Indonesia (Cinnamomum burmannii, or korintje).
Spicy and robust, Vietnamese cinnamon is also referred to as Saigon cinnamon.
The cinnamon many of us grew up with in the States — the one we toss into our shopping carts at the start of every autumn — is most often one of the three types in the cassia category (cassia, Saigon/Vietnamese, korintje/Indonesian), because they’re consistently cheap to produce and import. Korintje and Saigon, specifically in that order, are the two most frequently sold in ground cinnamon bottles at big-box stores. When you flip over to check out the ingredient list on a bottle and unfurl a shocking revelation — “ground cinnamon” — you can assume it’s one of these two. Now you’ve solved that mystery.
A notch more inaccessible, Ceylon cinnamon is worth procuring due to its mild, delicate taste. Your best bet here is to check out a specialty grocery store or mail-order spice company. Latin grocers, in particular, are great stockists for canela, the Mexican name for Ceylon cinnamon. In his tome On Food and Cooking, food scientist Harold McGee makes the flavor distinction between Ceylon’s “more subtle and complex [flavor], with floral and clove notes” and the cassia varieties’ punchiness, described as “bitter and somewhat harsh and burning, as in the American ‘red-hot’ candy.” In other words, Ceylon suggests its flavor profile while its three cassia cousins are a tad more in-your-face about it.
Ceylon
Cassia
Saigon
Korintje
Country of origin
Sri Lanka
China
Vietnam
Indonesia
Appearance
Light brown, thin skin, crumbly
Dark red-brown, thick skin
Deep, dark red-brown, thick skin
Lighter red-brown, thick skin
Taste/smell
Mild, floral, citrusy
Spicy, slightly bitter
Rich, sharp, spicy
Spicy, earthy
Unique qualities
10% of U.S. spice market, popular in Asia and Mexico
Part of Chinese five-spice powder
More affordable
Affordable, most of U.S. spice market
Culinary uses
Bread, pastry, champurrado, cinnamon rolls
Ice cream, cream pies, chocolate, stewed fruit
Cinnamon rolls, coffeecakes, baked oatmeal
Quick bread, cookies, cinnamon rolls
What makes cinnamons taste different from each other?
Differences in flavor potency among cinnamons can be attributed to a couple of interdependent factors. The age at which the cinnamon bark is harvested plays a role in determining a metric called the volatile oil content. In cinnamon trees, this is defined by many different compounds, but 65% to 75% of the composition is cinnamaldehyde, the primary component to give off taste and odor. The higher the cinnamon’s volatile oil content, the more cinnamaldehyde it contains, and the stronger the flavor it imparts.
The cassia category (cassia, Saigon/Vietnamese, korintje/Indonesian) generally scores big on volatility. Saigon cinnamon is usually considered strongest in flavor and routinely has the highest volatile oil content. Korintje comes in second place for high volatile oil content, with a smoother finish and less bite compared to Saigon and cassia.
However potent, cinnamon’s spice levels can easily peter out while sitting in stores many months after being processed and packed. Take that into consideration the next time you’re shopping for cinnamon: Look for a country of origin and pack date or best-by date — as with most ingredients, the fresher the better. And if that information is unavailable, buy small bottles at a time and restock only when you’re completely low; cinnamon should be used up, not hoarded.
Baker’s tip: There’s a reason most cinnamon breads you see aren’t cinnamon dough breads; they’re all done with a swirl instead to keep the cinnamon isolated from the yeast. That’s because cinnamon is a yeast inhibitor — you can’t use more than 1 teaspoon per 3 cups of flour in a dough without it slowing down the rise significantly.
What’s coumarin and why is it in cinnamon?
There’s a bit of controversy surrounding a toxic compound often found in cinnamon. The culprit is coumarin, a flavoring compound found in higher doses specifically in cassia cinnamons. Before you chuck out that jar on your spice rack, just know that coumarin is naturally occurring in a wide variety of natural flavoring agents that bakers use on a regular basis, including vanilla and citrus fruits, and it needs to be consumed in very large quantities to have any sort of negative effect. The standard amount called for in a baking recipe is completely fine for you — no need to worry!
There’s a bit of controversy surrounding a toxic compound often found in cinnamon. The culprit is coumarin, a flavoring compound found in higher doses specifically in cassia cinnamons. Before you chuck out that jar on your spice rack, just know that coumarin is naturally occurring in a wide variety of natural flavoring agents that bakers use on a regular basis, including vanilla and citrus fruits, and it needs to be consumed in very large quantities to have any sort of negative effect. The standard amount called for in a baking recipe is completely fine for you — no need to worry!
While most baking calls for ground cinnamon, whole cinnamon sticks can come in handy in some specific baking applications.
Ground vs. whole: what’s the difference? And when do you use each one?
Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks are like fraternal twins: same but different. As its name implies, ground cinnamon is the dried inner tree layer that’s been pulverized into a fine powder. A cinnamon stick is that same bark, only it left the party before the spice grinder was brought out. They run in different social circles; each one is the perfect companion to different dishes.
For infused creams and stocks, the cinnamon stick is your pal. You’ll have to take the stick out once you’re done steeping, whereas with ground cinnamon there’s obviously no need. Because ground cinnamon is essentially a powder, it has a large surface area, meaning it releases flavor almost immediately upon a sprinkle or stir: steep time not required.
And before you ask, yes, you can use ground cinnamon instead of a cinnamon stick, and vice versa. Use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for every 1 cinnamon stick called for in a recipe. Ceylon, due to its papery, good-for-grating crumbly texture, is the easiest to break down, but it’s the thicker-skinned cassia that’s usually in those ambiguous jars of “cinnamon sticks.” The rule of thumb is to blitz Ceylon with a spice/coffee grinder and cassia with a rasp grater to get what’s needed in recipes calling for the powdered stuff.
What to make with each type of cinnamon
There’s no shortage of baked goods these different cinnamon varieties can shimmy their way into, and for that reason, the application of cinnamon is one big flavor equation with endless opportunities.
Based on their unique taste characteristics, here’s a guide and a few recipe ideas to help you get the most out of each cinnamon variety.
Ceylon cinnamon
Try as you might, Ceylon has zero interest in being the center of attention — it’s mildly aromatic and sweet, rather than big and bold. What piques its interest instead is to demonstrate its subtle complexity in delicate, thoughtfully introspective mannerisms. If Ceylon cinnamon were a book, it would be The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Try delicate Ceylon cinnamon in comforting Champurrado.
You’ll get delicious results when you incorporate it into Zwieback and Spiced Peach Muffins — basically, any bake that summons cinnamon to proffer a dainty hint. In The New Sugar & Spice: A Recipe for Bolder Baking, baker and food stylist Samantha Seneviratne uses Ceylon to make blueberry custard tarts and cinnamon, hazelnut, and date buns — recipes where, as she writes, “the spice isn’t competing with a lot of other flavors.” Craving cinnamon and chocolate? Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread shared his take on the traditional Mexican elixir, Champurrado, and it’s a showcase of warm cocoa, luscious sugar, and gentle spice at their prime.
Cassia/Chinese cinnamon
Cassia is an ingredient in Chinese five-spice, a blend utilized for savory stews, rice, and meats in Asian cooking that can also be employed in a number of cuisines and cooking methods. When compared to Ceylon, cassia is noticeably deeper in color, with ambrosial, woodsy spice. Its exuberance, though wonderful, “should be used in small amounts to avoid giving dishes a bitter flavor,” writes Fuchsia Dunlop in The Food of Sichuan.
Tiny amounts bode well incorporated with rich, creamy agents that tone down any lingering intensity. I suggest putting it toward blended desserts with a decent amount of fat to calm the spice. Have a go at Cinnamon Ice Cream and Delicata Squash Pie. Cassia also pairs well with liqueurs, chocolate, and even stewed fruits (apples especially).
In a recipe where cinnamon plays a starring role, like Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls, your choice of cinnamon can be crucial.
Saigon/Vietnamese cinnamon
I wouldn’t be shocked if right before going into a bowl of ingredients, Vietnamese cinnamon sang the intro verses of young Alexander Hamilton in the titular Broadway musical. “There’s a million things I haven’t done, just you wait … just you wait …” Saigon cinnamon is an overachiever in the best, most intense way. And it was born to be a star; depending on the brand, Saigon contains between 4% to 5% volatile oils, which emanate that signature spice and heat we immediately associate with cinnamon.
Another stellar recipe is pastry chef Zoë Kanan’s Thinking About Vietnam Banana Bread. Here, Kanan pours her batter into a prepared loaf pan, sprinkles Vietnamese cinnamon on top, and gently swirls it through with a knife. “This simple step,” she tells me, “yields a loaf with bites of gentle banana comfort and bites of more intensity that showcase the beauty of the spice.”
Korintje/Indonesian cinnamon
Of the Cassia trifecta, Indonesian cinnamon is the gentlest. “Pure aromatherapy and grandma’s hug in a whiff,” is how baker Marcy Goldman puts it inThe Baker’s Four Seasons. Really, there’s no one-upping that. Indonesian is the cinnamon specifically called for in these Sparkling Spice Spritz Cookies and this homey Yuletide Bread, which both dazzle on any holiday party spread (if they even make it that far).
Haven’t had your full helping of pumpkin spice vibes for the season? Bring it home with these Harvest Pumpkin Scones; they make room for mellow Indonesian cinnamon should you tinker with a DIY pumpkin pie spice blend. And if you’re all pumpkin-ed out, remember you always have cinnamon rolls. I liken a roll made with Indonesian cinnamon to a grown-up Cinnabon: one that’s moved someplace posh, tasted the finer things in life, but maintains a soft spot for a good suburban mall.
King Arthur offers a number of different cinnamons so you can choose the one that’s best for your baking. Try sweet, mellow Indonesian cinnamon or big, bold Vietnamese cinnamon in your favorite recipes.
Directions Using a deep pot, preheat oil for frying to 350 degrees.
Using a mixing bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the onion. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Drop the batter, 1 teaspoon at a time, into the oil. Dip the spoon in a glass of water after each hushpuppy is dropped in the oil. Fry until golden brown, turning the hushpuppies during the cooking process.
In your mixing bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, clear vanilla, almond extract and milk
Mix until there are no lumps visible
Evenly divide the icing between 4 small bowls. Add 3-5 drops of the desired gel food coloring to the icing in each of the separate bowls
When you are ready to decorate your cookies, poor the icing into individual quart size zip lock bags, a squeeze bottle or piping bags. Allow the iced cookies to sit for 12 to 24 hours for the icing to set and harden fully
Notes
It is important to only use gel food colorings because liquid color will dilute the icing and wont be the right consistency to set properly.
This icing can be easily doubled. A single batch makes 3/4 cup of icing.
If your icing is too runny, add some more confectioners sugar for a thicker icing.
In a heated cast iron skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar. Add the apple slices and cook until apples release their juices. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and let simmer until apples are tender. Sprinkle the cinnamon, allspice and ginger on top of the apples and stir until blended.
There are few things more satisfying than biting into a freshly made, crispy-on-the-outside, soft-and-supple-on-the-inside slice of perfectly baked bread.
Bread is the foundation of a meal, the center of daily life, and each loaf tells the story of the baker who shaped it. Many home cooks find bread baking rewarding but intimidating.
In addition to wheat, bread is often made with rye, barley, potato, oat, spelt, soy and other lesser known grains. Added seeds, nuts and fruit often include one or more of the following (partial list):
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
poppy seeds
fled seeds
walnuts
raisins
currants
sesame seeds
olives
linseed
hazelnuts
almonds
oat flakes
whole gain groats
whey
In Germany, at any common bakery on the street, most, if not all of the items described above would be available on any given day. No need to go to a special, overpriced “organic” or “gourmet” bakery in some high end neighborhood. Just any average bakery will do.
Oddly, these same ingredients are often touted in online health advice articles – implying that there are health benefits to adding these “special” ingredients to one’s diet, all while other countries have had them as daily menu items for centuries if not thousands of years.
You can’t go through fall without making (or receiving) pumpkin bread at least once, and my recipe won’t disappoint.
Pumpkin Walnut Bread
Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts pieces
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions
Step 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three loaf pans.
Step 2 In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugars until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, walnuts, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Step 3 Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
The Rolling Pin 