You know how you sometimes experience something and it instantly brings back a fond memory?
Like hearing an old song from a time when something really great was happening in your life.
Or smelling a scent that brings you back to a happy memory of someone from your past.
Or when you taste something that brings you back to your childhood and the simplicity of that time?
Nutmeg is one of those magical triggers for me.
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Nutmeg is a taste that brings me back to my childhood. My mom makes something called "sweet bread" and it's filled with delicious nutmeg flavour. And no, it's not that horrid sweet bread that comes from an animal. Rather, it's a sweet and nicely spiced nutmeggy, coconutty loaf that those from the Caribbean know very well. I've made it a few times myself, but there is no other sweet bread like my mom's sweetbread.
So, nutmeg. I love it. It's a warming spice and it's filled with flavour. It instantly transforms a regular recipe into a very special recipe.
To me, anyways.
I try to make it work in my recipes wherever it makes sense. The most convenient type to use is pre-ground nutmeg, but let me tell you...if you use pre-ground nutmeg, you are losing out on a whole lot of flavour. Who knows when that nutmeg was ground? So much flavour has been lost.
So what is the best type of nutmeg to use in your baking if it's not the pre-ground stuff?
Buy the whole nutmeg seeds and grate them using a microplane or mini grater as needed for your recipes.
And remember, a little goes a long way which is why recipes never really call for that much. The seeds are inexpensive and can be found at most well-stocked grocery stores.
Try using nutmeg this way and you will notice a big change for the good in the flavour of your baking (and non-baking!) recipes. Such a tiny change will make a huge difference!
Some recipes to try with freshly grated nutmeg:
Peady @ Tempered with Kindness says
Such a delicious difference. The fragrance alone is extremely happy making.
Where do you buy your nutmeg? Is there a secret source the people need to know about?
Bulk Barn carries it. 🙂 I'll pick up some fresh whole nutmeg today. Yum!
Gwen says
No secret source, I buy mine at Bulk Barn too 🙂 For those who do not have a Bulk Barn where they live, any store that is well-stocked in spices should have it.
Krystal says
Sweet bread... not that horrid sweet bread that comes from an animal. Oh how you made me chuckle! The first time I was presented with that animal type sweet bread was in South America. We had ordered it off the menu thinking it was actually bread. Can you imagine my surprise when I was presented with THAT thing! Oh my. Anyways nutmeg is good, nutmeg is great and now you've got me thinking of my mom's sweet bread.. 🙂
Gwen says
Ha! 🙂 I'm sure the "other" sweet bread is lovely to some, it is however, not for me 🙂 And you too apparently! That must have been a shock when it was served to you. I know I was shocked when I heard that sweet sounding name and then realized what it actually was! And yes, everyone's mom makes THE BEST sweet bread, right? Craving some now!
Misty says
We recently switched to the whole nutmeg too, and wow, what a difference!
Gwen says
Such a big difference, right? I can't imagine not using it this way!