My brother, bless him, has developed an allergy to cinnamon. One of my favorite spices to use in the kitchen. And with the holidays around the corner (admit it, they are), I'm working on some substitutes for cinnamon in our favorite recipes.
First on my list is apple pie. Alton Brown, one of my favorite FoodNetwork chefs, uses a spice called "grains of paradise" in his Super Apple Pie. Which is all fine and dandy. HOWEVER! Was not aware that I was hunting for a rare(ish) spice. Can't find it anywhere!! Except online of course, but that doesn't help me right NOW.
I have other recipes of which I'm considering omitting the cinnamon, and adding a little extra of the others. We'll see.
My mom has this cookbook from the 50s that has an epic recipe for ginger cookies. Last time I made them, I added extra ginger and molasses, simply because I love the spice and richness of the ingredients.
In my adventures of hunting for grains of paradise for Alton's apple pie, I came across tapioca flour/starch. And behold! A ginger cookie recipe that promises extra crisp results. We shall see. I have to shop for more supplies though. This is some gluten-free, organic, vegan thing that I have little experience with. Calls for things I've only seen in packaged foods.
Pumpkin pie is another goodie I'll have to figure out... I love my bro, but HELL this is a lame allergy. I find myself checking for cinnamon in everything before giving it to him.
Well, I'm off to bed. I'll update recipes as I go along. Au revoir!
