Recipes
Chocolate Conchas
Conchas hold a special place in my heart. Growing up blocks away from a Mexican bakery, I always looked forward to heading over and picking out a rainbow of sweet breads every Sunday. Conchas get their name, which translates to seashell, from the patterns stamped on the sugary crust. The sugar topping is can be flavored in many different ways, and is often dyed in vibrant colors. These pastries are a labor of love, but are totally worth making fresh. The possibilities for conchas are infinite! In this recipe, we made chocolate conchas, my childhood favorite, using rich and smooth Valrhona cocoa powder. These delicious little pastries are typically dunked in milk, coffee or hot chocolate. For a breakfast treat, try spreading them with sour cream, or use day-old conchas to make great French toast and bread pudding.
Learn more
Carrot Cake Smoothie
This Carrot Cake Smoothie is a guilt free way to have dessert for breakfast. We all have the craving from time to time, some of us more often than others. I blame mine on my childhood history with sugary cereals. This indulgent smoothie checks off all the craving boxes without any added sugar, gluten or actually baking a cake. It's a lovely combination with all the flavors you want in this classic dessert. Kashmiri Garam Masala is a workhorse of a spice blend because of its versatility. Toasted, sweet and savory all together, it has warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, and mace, giving this smoothie a ton of aromatic flavor that satisfies with every sip.Inspired by our Moist Carrot Cake in World Spice at Home, enjoy them both!
Learn more
Paprika Roasted Baby Potatoes with Black Garlic Aioli
It's a running joke at the shop is that we have never ate a potato we didn't like. Just because they're all delicious, however, doesn't mean we can't have favorites. This potato recipe makes for an easy side dish or appetizer, and we've found ourselves coming back to it over and over again. There are just a few ingredients here, but they're all full of flavor. The Hungarian Paprika is sweet, fruity and coats these baby potatoes beautifully. Alongside the potatoes, we made a Black Garlic aioli that you're going to want to put on everything. Black Garlic is fermented and fruity, somewhat reminiscent of molasses. It doesn't have the bite of regular garlic, and it has umami qualities similar to balsamic vinegar. Together, these mini potatoes and aioli make for a delicious and flavorful bite.
Learn more
Garam Masala Meatballs with Mango Chutney
These meatballs are sweet, spicy, fruity and tangy. We seasoned our meatballs with an all purpose blend, Indian Garam Masala. For the chutney, we used some over-ripened mangoes and chopped dried tart cherries, although dried cranberries would be delicious, too. Making it the perfect sauce adding warmth and bite from nigella seeds and cayenne. Chutney has a lot of uses and is normally used to add sweet and sour tang to Indian dishes. Next we strewed the meatballs in the chutney. After 45 minutes of simmering these meatballs melt in your mouth! We used beef here, but lamb would be delicious, too! Add a toothpick to them for an easy appetizer or serve over basmati rice.
Learn more
World Spice Birthday Cake
Let's see....how do you celebrate a quarter century milestone 2020 style? Go with the flow! This cake has all the flavor worthy of a 25th birthday spice cake and all the ease that comes with working with what's at hand. We spiced everyday cake mix with our Roast Chai blend and added Turmeric to a delicious tub of frosting to take it over the top. Coconut orange curd made up the filling of this 5-tier tower of sweet, bold flavor. You only turn 25 once, and it was a fun cake to make. We hope you are inspired to make this or use what you have on hand to experiment with your own version, because sneaking in spice into any celebration should be delicious and easy. Enjoy!
Learn more
Everything Hummus
Jazz up your hummus with our Everything Bagel Spice! The spice blend has incredible texture and bold flavors that elevate classic hummus to a whole new level. Not your run of the mill version, we've included exotic nigella seed to make it even more interesting. Lightly salted with Pacific Sea Salt, the blend hits all the onion and garlic notes, along with playful poppy and nutty sesame. You'll want to keep sprinkling it on with every bite.
Learn more
Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream
With all sorts of fruits and berries in season, it's a time of year when we've often found ourselves looking for new recipes to take advantage of a bountiful summer harvest. Looking for a break from pies and other baked goodies, we decided to try out a rich vanilla cream to complement a variety of fresh fruit.After making it once, we wondered where it had been all our lives.The fresh Madagascar 3 Count Vanilla Bean is the star of the show in this elegant vegan topping. There's no added sugar, because we found it wasn't needed! The dates in the cream provide plenty of sweetness, and a rich, caramel-like aftertaste. Consider carefully before making this recipe, because this stuff is addictive! One taste, and you'll want it on every fruit in sight.
Learn more
Cuban Spiced Black Bean Soup
As the days are getting shorter, the air is getting colder, and here in Seattle the sun is making fewer and fewer public appearances. It can be easy to get lost in the gloomy grey blanket of winter in the Pacific Northwest (I know I'd rather be on a beach), but winter does bring the time for some of my favorite meals. Rich, hearty, long-simmering stews, soups, and braised meats can be the perfect accompaniment to a cozy night indoors by the fire or fortification to warm you from the inside when you have to brave the elements outdoors.To beat the winter blues, I like to crank up the rumba, turn on the sun lamp, and make a big pot of black bean soup with Cuban Spice, while day dreaming about a Havana vacation. Our Cuban Spice adds a bright flavor to hearty ingredients like black beans and ham, and brings them together with fresh ingredients . Although this recipe is very mild, it takes a few hot peppers quite well for those of us looking for a little extra zing.
Learn more
El Greco Zucchini Cheddar Muffins
Savory muffins are underrated. While blueberry and lemon poppy seed might make the headlines, cheese, herbs and veggies can work just as well! Our latest recipe yields muffins that are moist, cheesy and almost biscuit like. It's so satisfying to pull these warm muffins apart. The stringy cheddar will make you salivate.Baking these at home will fill your kitchen with smells of oregano, basil and garlic, all thanks to our El Greco blend. This Mediterranean spice mix has all of those garden herbs, as well as sumac and lemon peel for acidity. The flavor pairing is perfect for baked goods: rich and comforting, but not overly heavy. They also make the perfect side for a soup or salad... if they last until lunch!
Learn more
