Nutmeg

This Alpine potato-and-bacon casserole is gloriously gooey thanks to the slices of soft cheese nestled on top before baking.

No Indian pantry is complete without a batch of homemade garam masala. This fragrant version combines mainstays like cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg with rosebuds, cumin, bay leaves, and more.

Also known as the hummingbird cake, this sweet and spiced cake originated in Jamaica.

As the name suggests, West Africa’s most popular form of fried dough is essentially a delectable fried pillow of airy dough.

Use this rich, creamy Italian white sauce for lasagna, gratins, and mac and cheese.

Few side dishes are better on a cool fall evening than roasted acorn squash sweetened with just a little honey and made even mellower with nutmeg and fresh sage leaves. When I catch a whiff of it coming from the oven, I feel warm and comforted, and you will, too.

The orange zest and nutmeg say holiday, but you can switch up the spices as long as you keep the butter and salt.

When I was a kid growing up in the Midwest, my friends and I would always pick up big packages of bratwurst to grill while watching sporting events. I wanted to re-create the sausage of my youth, and I think these bratwurst come pretty close. This is a simple, classic sausage; serve it on a crunchy roll with mustard and sauerkraut.

There's no need to buy pumpkin pie spice mix if you've already got all the spices for it in your cupboard—just mix it up yourself and use it in any recipe that calls for it. Toss it with apples for a delicious pie filling, stir it into whipped cream or frosting for a festive fall dessert topping, or sprinkle it over sliced fruit or buttered toast for a dressed-up snack. You could even add it to your coffee for an at-home PSL experience.

The longer you can let this chicken rest in the marinade (up to 24 hours), the better the warm, aromatic, fiery spices will penetrate the meat.

These simple spring hand-pies are packed to the brim with tangy sweetened rhubarb. Pack them along, cooled, for a picnic or serve them warm with equally tangy buttermilk-lemon granita.

Also known as advieh, this aromatic blend comes from Persian cuisine. It’s fragrant, a little sweet, and gently warming. It is delicious mixed with sugar and sprinkled over baked goods, donuts, and rice pudding or added to dried fruits that are cooking into jam. It straddles the sweet and savory world because it’s also great for flavoring rice pilaf with toasted nuts, lentil soup, lamb meatballs, braised chicken, or vegetable stew. It’s a blend that is shared by chefs and pastry chefs. Use it to make Persian-Style Carrots and Black-Eyed Peas.

Speculoos cookies in "butter" form add a spicy complexity to pumpkin purée for a new spin on the classic fall dessert.

Can’t get enough of pumpkin pie spice? With this easy whipped cream, you can add it to everything: our awesome Build-Your-Own Thanksgiving Pie Bar, the ultimate autumn icebox cake, and, yes, even your next latte.