Nutmeg: A favorite holiday spice

Holiday baking is right around the corner, and I love the smell of warm spices in my kitchen. What is one important spice for baking? NUTMEG. Almost always when I use cinnamon in a baked good, I always add nutmeg to complement the flavors. The two together complement each other's flavor tones.

The nutmeg tree is native to the East Indies. It is produces two spices from the fruit: nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the actual seed and mace is the outside spice of speed. After 20 years of growing, nutmeg trees eventually reach full production.

You may confuse the two: nutmeg and mace, but the two have very similar taste profiles. Nutmeg tends to have a deeper, bolder, and spicier flavor versus the delicate mace. Both are commonly used in ground form to "add" flavor to a savory or sweet dish. You can even to add flavor to homemade eggnog! But you rarely see "Nutmeg shortbread" or "Mace pound cake." Rather, both ingredients are used to complement other flavors.

The best way to get the truest flavor out of nutmeg? Buy it whole, get a nutmeg grater (a small grater with petite holes), and use it lightly in dishes. Only grate nutmeg when you are using it and store it in an air-tight container.

Happy Baking!