Nutmeg Spice Islands
The nutmeg tree is a native of the Banda Islands, a cluster of small volcanic islands historically known as the Spice Islands and now part of the province of Molucca in Indonesia. Nutmeg isn't really a nut, but the kernel of an apricot-like fruit. Also known as Myristica fragans, mace, mace fruit, nutmeg fruit. It's also better not to use an irradiated product. Irradiating nutmeg breaks down the fatty acids that contain the essential oils that give nutmeg its aroma and flavor. Avoid irradiated nutmeg for best quality. Warm and sweet, nutmeg adds depth to desserts and savory dishes alike. Sprinkle it on your eggnog, but try it on your potatoes, too!
Mace and nutmeg both come from the fruit of Myristica fragrans, an aromatic evergreen that grows to 66 feet, with dark green leaves, aromatic flowers, and large, brownish/yellow fruit. The female trees produce the fleshy fruit that splits in half once mature. The bright red, lacy covering (the aril) is harvested as mace, while the seeds are used for nutmeg. Nutmegs can be harvested when the trees are 7 to 9 years old, and the tree reaches full harvest maturity after about 20 years. While M. fragrans is generally the preferred spice, two other species of nutmeg are grown--and sometimes used as adulterants. They are M. argentea or Papuan nutmeg, which is grown in New Guinea, and M. malabarica or Bombay nutmeg, which is grown in India. Imagine the streets spiced with nutmegs and other aromatics.
Nutmeg has a flavor that is quite strong. In small amounts, it blends in with great subtlety. You will find it called for in many vegetable recipes such as squash, spinach, and sweet potato pie. French white sauces often call for a pinch.
In addition to its uses in desserts, breads, and pound cake, nutmeg is often a good secret ingredient for stew, cream soup, sauces, preserves and meatballs. We have many customers who still make sausage by hand, based on old family recipes handed down through generations -- for pork or bratwurst sausage, nutmeg is a standard ingredient.
Nutmeg has a long history of acclaimed healing and magical powers. Most of these were for inducing romance or enhancement of beauty or popularity. Nowadays, the use of nutmeg is pretty much limited to the food industry!
Mace is the outer shell of the nutmeg fruit. It has a lighter, sweeter flavor.
Should you open the small, plum-sized fruit of the nutmeg tree, inside you would find the nutmeg protectively covered by the thin, lacy-looking scarlet-colored shell that we know as mace. After the mace is peeled from the shell and dried, its beautiful scarlet color fades to a light brown. Its flavor is similar to, but more delicate than, the sturdy nutmeg. Blade mace is used for soups and sauces, and is often found in wine mulling mixtures. Powdered mace is a pleasing addition (in minute quantities) to pound cake as well as to Swedish meatballs, doughnuts, stuffing, sweet potato pie, oyster stew, and BBQ sauces. You might be surprised to know that most American hot-dogs contain ground mace.
You can substitute nutmeg and mace for each other in most recipes.
Winter Squash with Spiced Butter
Spiced butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp. rose water (optional)
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
1 T.fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt
Squash
4 pounds assorted small winter squash (such as acorn, butternut)
Kosher salt
Spiced butter
Mix all ingredients except salt in a small bowl until lime juice is incorporated. Season with salt. Cover; keep in a cool place. DO AHEAD Spiced butter can be made 1 week ahead. Roll into logs, wrap in parchment paper, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Squash
Trim ends of acorn and kabocha squash and cut in half through the stem end. Scrape out seeds and place squash cut side down on a cutting board (do not peel). Cut halves crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
Fill a large wide pot with water to a depth of 1/2-inch and add a pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Add squash slices; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and steam, adding more water as needed to maintain 1/2-inch of water at bottom of pot, until squash is tender but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes.
Carefully transfer squash slices to a large platter (some squash at bottom of pot may be too soft; save for another purpose) and season with salt.
Reduce water in pot over high heat (or add hot water) to measure 3/4 cup. Remove from heat and whisk in spiced butter, 1 tablespoonful at a time, to form a rich, glossy sauce. Season to taste with salt. Drizzle spiced butter over squash.
Spiced Chocolate Torte
cake
1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
2 c. sugar
8 eggs, separated, room temperature
10 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), melted, lukewarm
1 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/3 c. unbleached all purpose flour, sifted (measured, then sifted)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cream of tartar
butter cream
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
4 jumbo egg yolks
1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), melted and cooled (but still pour-able)
1/4 c. dark rum
glaze
12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
2 T. honey
3/4 tsp. instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
cake
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 11/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with waxed paper; butter and flour waxed paper.
Using electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time. Blend in melted chocolate. Slowly mix in pecans, vanilla, and spices. Gently fold in flour in 4 batches (batter will be very thick and dense).
Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar in another large bowl until medium peaks form. Gently fold 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites. Divide batter among prepared pans, spreading evenly. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Run knife around sides of each cake. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks. Cool to room temperature.
butter cream
Stir sugar and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil 1 minute. Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in medium bowl until pale and thick. Gradually beat in hot sugar syrup; continue beating until mixture is completely cool, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter 1 piece at a time, incorporating each piece completely before adding next. Blend in melted chocolate, then rum. (If butter cream looks broken or curdled, place bowl with butter cream over medium heat on stove burner and whisk 5 to 10 seconds to warm mixture slightly, then remove from heat and beat mixture again on medium speed. Repeat warming and beating as many times as needed until butter cream is smooth.)
Reserve 1/2 cup butter cream Set 1 cake layer, flat side up, on rack; spread with half of remaining butter cream Top with second cake layer; spread with remaining butter cream Top with third cake layer; use reserved 1/2 cup butter cream to fill in seam where cake layers meet. Freeze cake until butter cream is firm, about 2 hours.
glaze
Stir all ingredients in top of double boiler over gently simmering water until mixture is smooth. Remove from over water. Stir until glaze is thickened, about 5 minutes (do not allow glaze to set).
Pour 3/4 of glaze over top of cake. Carefully and quickly tilt cake back and forth so glaze coats sides; smooth sides with spatula, adding some of remaining glaze where necessary. Chill cake until glaze is set.
Pear Raisin Pie
filling:
3 lb. firm, ripe pears, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch slices, and then halved
3/4 c. raisins
2/3 c. packed dark or light brown sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Pinch ground mace
Pinch salt
1/2 c. bourbon
3 T. cornstarch
For the crust: Upper and lower pie crust
Position racks in the low and middle spots of the oven and set a foil-lined baking sheet on the lower rack to catch any drips. Heat the oven to 425°F.
Make the filling
In a large saucepan, combine the pears, raisins, brown sugar, lemon zest, juice, cinnamon, cloves, mace, salt, and all but 2 Tbs. of the bourbon. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently until the sugar is dissolved and the pears begin to release some liquid, about 4 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with the remaining 2 Tbs. bourbon; add this to the pears. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and cook until the liquid is clear, about 1 minute. Cool the filling to room temperature.
Fill the bottom pie shell with the cooled pear mixture. Top with second pie crust, making decorative incisions, and brush with milk & chopped nuts.
Bake at 425°F until the pears are just tender when pierced with a knife, 50 to 55 minutes.
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