The Pleasures of Wildcrafted Winter Spice Blends (Plus Forest Spice Cookies)

The holiday season is a time many associate with rich, exotic spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger. Whether we add them to our pumpkin pies or stir them into hot drinks, nothing makes a treat feel quite as cozy as that hit of spice. What we take for granted now used to be valuable trade items; only the wealthiest could afford to bake spice cakes or gingerbread. I love to imagine the days of the Silk Road bringing such fragrant and colorful cargo across Eurasia. Oh, how magnificent those spices must have been when experienced for the first time! It’s no wonder that Northern Europe clung onto the warmth of allspice or the perfume of cardamom. They are undoubtedly delightful. With the onset of global commerce, these exotic flavors become more and more widespread, and more and more familiar. Countries without the warm climate needed for spices soon incorporated their treasured imports into classic foods representing their culture. That’s the beautiful thing about flavor; it is constantly moving, adapting, changing, and transforming into something novel and unexpected. What would American cinnamon rolls be without the cinnamon? Or Danish pastries without cardamom? 

Today, it’s as easy as a trip to my local grocery store to pick up exotic spices from all over the world, and yet -- these are not the flavors of my home. These spices don’t dance in my landscape, don’t grow alongside the other plants I forage for. My home climate here in the Pacific Northwest isn’t hot enough for cinnamon, mace, or cloves. But a walk in the winter woods doesn’t feel lacking! In fact, it is this time of year that I become distinctly aware of the variety of fragrance that fills snow-covered natural spaces. (Ironic, since the cold numbs your sense of smell.) The more I explore and fall in love with the layers of magic that make up my relationship to the landscape, the more I notice. As I wander out on a winter afternoon, I notice that the woods DO smell spicy, and sweet, and earthy, and crisp. They smell balanced and beautiful. Similarly, the more I become acquainted with the edible wild plants that surround me, the more I see their potential for flavoring long into the winter months. My eye can now pick them out of the environment: browned seed heads with a licorice fragrance. Blue berries with a spicy aroma. A jar of seeds in my pantry just waiting for something special! 

A walk in the woods and meadows. A pocket-full of berries and seeds. A warm pan just starting to shimmer. The seductive fragrance of toasting spices engulfing me. The peace of hand-grinding in a mortar and pestle, breathing in the scent of the spicy wilderness. The smell of spice cookies baking. Yum. I love every part of this ritual, and I have to say that I have been delightfully surprised at just how many flavors are hidden right under my nose. To create your own signature spice blend, consider what flavorful plants might be hiding in plain sight in your own environment. Make sure to research each one you consider to be sure it is right for you; just like bay leaves or nutmeg, too much of a good thing can have undesirable consequences. Everything in moderation, in balance, and with respect. I’ve loosely based my spice blends on famous blends from all over the world; keep in mind that this is a rough interpretation, not an attempt to re-create. I love that I can adapt tried-and-true spice combinations to showcase my own environment here. After all, that is the history of spice itself! 

Foraging for your own wild spices and processing them by hand is a practice of patience and reverence. Remember: this is a choice you are making. You could pick up a jar of Pumpkin Spice at any grocery store in minutes, while this process will take some time. It’s not another errand to run, it is a practice in being engaged with your environment and your senses in a way that feels truly magical. I treasure the blends I make, knowing that they are a collaboration between my dexterous hands and my beautiful environment. A gingerbread cookie takes on new life as a forest spice cookie. A middle-eastern breakfast dish gets a boost from local flavors. A savory pie gets a layer of depth from the woods I love so much.. How magical is that? 

Below I have included guidelines for the four spice blends I’ve created. I didn’t give amounts, since this is an opportunity for your senses to play! Smell the ingredients you gather. Pay attention to which ones are pungent and which are more subtle. Make a blend that speaks or your environment and your taste -- that’s what makes it special. Hard seeds, spices, and nuts should be lightly toasted first. I heat up my trusty cast-iron skillet over medium heat and stir my spices until they are just fragrant, then immediately pour them onto a plate to stop the process of cooking. Most ingredients can be ground by hand in a mortar and pestle, though some mushrooms or herbs can be difficult to break down without the addition of sugar or salt. For those, I use an electric coffee grinder that I have specifically for grinding herbs. Keep in mind that everything you use in these blends should be completely dry to prevent spoilage later!

Hedgerow Spice: 

This blend is intended to substitute for the well-known sweet/warm spices of the season. Whether you’re making pumpkin pie or gingerbread, spiced chutney or cinnamon rolls, this blend can step in with the magic of the forest. Try mixing some of it with sugar to sprinkle on pastries. My local spice blend includes a little juniper, wild fennel, dried young fir needles, spicebush berries, wild carrot seeds, and just a bit of wild ginger. I added some rose petals for a subtle floral hint. Dried candy cap mushrooms add a mouthwatering maple flavor. A pinch of fennel pollen finishes it with a delightful sweetness. This blend is great for adding to recipes but can also be used as a seasoning after baking as well, in the same way one might use cinnamon sugar. (If you plan to use it raw, omit the candycap mushrooms as all mushrooms should be cooked before consuming.)  

Riverbank Blend: 

This blend is based on Za’atar, which is a Middle-Eastern spice blend typically made from thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds (plus salt.) It’s traditionally sprinkled onto flatbreads, stirred into dips, and used to season meat or roast vegetable dishes. I love the balance of earthy/nutty sesame, tart sumac, and spicy thyme. Coming up with my own stand-in blend was pretty easy; staghorn sumac grows wild where I live, and I have a good bag of wild bee balm (which tastes just like oregano) saved up from last summer. I’ve substituted pine nuts for the sesame seeds - a different flavor, but one that adds a bit more buttery sweetness to the base of the blend. The Arabic word Za’atar originally described a specific herb that’s apparently a bit like mint, a bit like thyme, and a bit like oregano. This immediately made me think of my mother’s garden, where the mints have cross-pollinated the oreganos to create a hybrid “mintregano” that we never know quite what to do with. It’s perfect in this blend! A little wild mint and thyme round out the flavors.

Za’atar is one of my go-to kitchen spice blends when I am looking to brighten up vegetables, add flavor to breads, or fortify heavier dishes with flavor. Mixed with olive oil, it is a fantastic bread-dipping sauce. This blend, too, can be used in dishes or sprinkled on as a condiment after cooking. 

Woodland Seasoning: 

This spice blend is another more savory concotion for adding depth and richness to stews, soups, breads, and more. It gets its base from mushrooms - porcini, chanterelles, shittake, or whatever else I have a surplus of in a glass jar in my cupboard. Added to that are the aromatics: juniper berries, spruce tips, wild bergamot.  Stinging nettle adds earthy greenness, while dried ramps or wild onions give it a savory boost. A little dried lomatium adds a celery-like kick, and yarrow’s aromatic earthiness rounds it all out. This blend is best-suited for recipes that call for spice blends. Cooking allows the mushrooms to release all of their umami goodness! Sometimes I add a bit of miso along with this mixture in recipes for extra umami flavor. 

Coastal Sprinkle: 

This delightful mixture is based on the Japanese ‘Furikake,’ a flavorful seasoning that’s sprinkled on top of rice, cooked vegetables, and more. It typically contains toasted sesame seeds and seaweed, plus dried fish flakes, sugar, and sea salt. Many blends also include monosodium glutamate. I used this as a starting point to develop my own blend. The base of mine are the coastal seaweeds I love so much: dulse, for its almost-meaty depth of flavor. Wakame, for its briny deliciousness (and hit of B12). Nori, for the crisp crunch it adds. Sea lettuce, since it’s such a cheerful bright green. Cracked wild mustard seeds add a bit of heat, reminiscent of wasabi. Poppyseeds add crunch. Pepitas, or raw green pumpkin seeds, are toasted for a rich nutty flavor. The main flavor punch comes from shittake mushrooms that have been dried, re-hydrated and cooked in soy sauce, then dried and powdered again. In Hawaii, Furikake blends are used even more inventively and are often paired with Western foods. I’ve heard rumors of potato chips dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with a pinch of this delicious blend… Keep in mind that this blend is actually treated like a condiment. You probably wouldn’t add it directly to a recipe, but rather sprinkle it over the top of prepared dishes. 

Forest Spice Honey Cookies: 

These delicious cookies take their cue from traditional gingerbread, but with a few twists; they are full of local flavor and are sweetened with honey instead of molasses, which adds a subtle perfume to the dough. I added fresh orange to highlight the licorice-like notes of wild fennel and wild carrot seeds. I love cutting them out in snowflake shapes, then giving myself lots of time to decorate them with royal icing, trying to make each cookie unique (just like real snowflakes.) Plan ahead, since the dough will need to chill overnight (which also gives the flavors time to meld beautifully.) I mixed together recipes for gingerbread with recipes for Pierniczki, a honey cookie from Poland. 

Ingredients: 

1 c. unsalted butter

1 large egg

½ c. honey

1 Tbs. fresh orange juice

½ tsp. Maple extract, optional

½ tsp. Fresh orange zest

½ c. packed brown sugar

1 ½ Tbs. Hedgerow Spice mix

¼ tsp. Salt

½ c. acorn flour (or substitute all-purpose flour)

3- 4 c. all-purpose flour.

For icing: 

1 c. powdered sugar

1-2 Tbs. milk or almond milk

Directions: 

1. Melt the butter and let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, in a larger bowl, whisk together the salt, forest spice mix, and brown sugar. 

2. In a medium bowl, mix the egg, honey, orange juice, maple extract, and orange zest. Beat well to combine. Add the spice mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add the melted butter and mix it in as well. Finally, mix in the acorn flour. 

3. Add the flour in one cup increments, mixing just to combine after each addition. You want to create a soft dough that is slightly sticky. 

4. Form the dough into a round ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge overnight. 

5. Prepare two cookie sheets by placing re-usable silicone liners or parchment paper on them.

6. Divide the dough into quarters and keep the rest in the fridge while you work with each section. Roll out on a lightly-floured surface to about ¼” thick and use cookie cutters to cut out your shapes. Gently transfer the cookies to the baking sheets as you work. Repeat until you’ve used all of the dough (you can re-roll it once or twice, but keep in mind that it will get a bit tougher after each roll.) 

7. Place the cookie sheets in the freezer (or outside, if it’s chilly) for about 30 minutes. This will help the cookies hold their shape in the oven. 

8. After 10 or so minutes of chilling, preheat oven to 350F and make sure there are two racks near the middle. 

9. Once the cookies have chilled, bake them for 8-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for an even bake. Cookies are finished when they are lightly golden brown on the bottom. Let cool on the sheets for a couple of minutes before gently transfering the cookies to a cooling rack or countertop to cool completely. 

10. To make the icing, beat the butter and half of the powdered sugar until smooth. Add 1 Tbs. milk and mix in, then add the rest of the powdered sugar. Add more milk as necessary, a little at a time, until you achieve a thick but pipe-able icing. Transfer it to a pastry bag with fine tip and start decorating! You can also add a sprinkle of sanding sugar for a little extra sparkle. 

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