Cinnamon

Cinnamon has a special place in each baking season for me, and it pairs well with cloves, ginger and nutmeg. I add cinnamon to my chewy ginger-molasses cookies in the fall; as they bake, the comforting aroma permeates the entire house. In the gloomy winter months, I like to stir spicy Vietnamese cinnamon and honey into hot milk for a cozy drink. I crave carrot cake in the springtime and often use cinnamon both in the cake batter and in the cream cheese buttercream frosting. On a humid summer evening, one of the simplest desserts I know is a halved grilled peach topped with whipped cream and mascarpone cheese, a few generous spoonfuls of warm cinnamon-caramel sauce and some crisp cinnamon-nutmeg streusel. The combination of these flavors and textures is so incredibly satisfying.