Mixed Spice, 50g

Mixed Spice, 50g

Mixed spice is a blend of ground spices commonly used in British and Irish baking and cooking. The blend typically contains a combination of warm and sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and sometimes ginger, corriander, and mace. The exact proportions of these spices can vary depending on the region or brand, but they come together to create a fragrant, sweet-spicy flavour profile.

Mixed spice is most often associated with sweet baking, puddings, and holiday treats. It brings a comforting aromatic warmth to desserts and certain savoury dishes, making it a key ingredient in many traditional recipes.

Flavour Profile:

• Warm & Sweet: The mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves creates a warm, slightly sweet flavour with a touch of spiciness.
• Fragrant & Aromatic: The blend has a fragrant quality that is both comforting and inviting, making it perfect for desserts and baked goods.
• Mildly Spicy: While it contains spices like allspice and cloves, it’s typically milder and less intense than some other spice blends, like pumpkin pie spice or gingerbread spice.

Common Uses for Mixed Spice:

1. Baking:

• Cakes & Breads: Mixed spice is often used in fruit cakes, Christmas cakes, and scones, where its warm, sweet flavour complements dried fruits, nuts, and rich batters. It’s a key ingredient in rich fruit cakes and spiced loaves.
• Biscuits & Cookies: The spice blend is perfect for shortbread, biscuits, and cookies. It’s especially popular in traditional British holiday treats like mince pies and ginger biscuits.
• Pies & Tarts: Mixed spice adds depth to apple pies, pear tarts, or plum crumbles, offering a balance to the tartness of the fruits.

2. Puddings & Desserts:

• Christmas Pudding: A classic addition to Christmas pudding and other festive puddings, mixed spice enhances the overall flavour profile with its aromatic warmth.
• Spiced Fruit Compote: Mixed spice is often sprinkled over stewed fruits like apples, pears, or plums to create a spiced fruit compote.
• Custards & Creams: The spice is also a great addition to custards and cream-based desserts like rice pudding and bread and butter pudding.

3. Drinks:

• Mulled Wine or Cider: Mixed spice is a traditional ingredient in mulled wine, mulled cider, or spiced tea, adding warmth and complexity to the drink.
• Hot Chocolate: For a festive twist, mixed spice can be stirred into hot chocolate or coffee, giving it a spicy-sweet finish.
• Spiced Syrups: It can be used to make spiced syrups for drizzling over pancakes, waffles, or desserts.

4. Savoury Dishes:

• Stews & Casseroles: While mixed spice is primarily used in sweet recipes, it can also be added to stews and casseroles, especially those with a rich, fruity component like lamb stew with dried apricots or Moroccan-inspired dishes.
• Curries: Mixed spice can be used in mild curries or tagines, particularly those that contain dried fruits such as raisins or prunes. It adds a warming depth to the dish without overpowering it.

5. Preserves and Jams:

• Fruit Jams & Chutneys: Mixed spice works wonderfully in spiced jams or chutneys, especially those made with apples, pears, or plums. It can enhance the overall flavour complexity of sweet spreads.

Health Benefits of Mixed Spice:

1. Digestive Aid: Spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg have been traditionally used to support digestion, relieve indigestion, and ease bloating. The warming nature of mixed spice can help stimulate the digestive system.

2. Anti-inflammatory & Antioxidant: Many of the spices in mixed spice (like cinnamon and nutmeg) contain antioxidants and have mild anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation in the body.

3. Blood Sugar Regulation: Cinnamon, one of the key ingredients in mixed spice, is known for its ability to help regulate blood sugar levels, making the blend a potentially beneficial addition to a diet for those managing blood sugar levels.

4. Mood-Enhancing: The aromatic warmth of mixed spice can have a comforting effect, which is why it’s often used in holiday treats and beverages that promote feelings of well-being and relaxation.

Ingredients:

Coriander, cinnamon, ginger, fennel, nutmeg, cloves