Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove are in our regular baking spice rotation—they're the type of fall flavors that taste great in breads, cakes, and pies year-round. Lately though, we've been turning to savory elements to balance out sweetness in the pastry department. What if you baked with a spice that was actually, well, a little bit spicy?
AtEl Rey Coffee Bar & Luncheonettein Manhattan, chef Gerardo Gonzalez is doing just that. He serves a sweet potato breakfast bread that's an ingenious take on the now-ubiquitous pumpkin spice cake. That's not an accident. "It was kind of a joke at first—let's make pumpkin spiced-something," recalls Gonzalez, "I did it as pumpkin bread first, but I just like sweet potatoes better because they have less water and a honey flavor when you bake them."
Sweet potatoes are the new pumpkin: they're better for baking and pack a subtle sweetness. But that's only part of the equation—the addition of Aleppo pepper takes the baked good to a crazy new place. "When I think of spice," explains Gonzalez, "I'm not thinking of cinnamon or nutmeg." Yes, the Middle Eastern spice amps up the heat a bit, but also adds what Gonzalez describes as a "fruity flavor." The spice is commonly available in crushed flake form, which is exactly what you'll want to use on just about any sweet or savory dish you make at home starting right now. Yogurt-marinated kebabs? Yes. Chicken salad? Sure. Flank steak with an Aleppo aioli? Absolutely.
Go ahead and double down next time you pick up that bottle of Aleppo at the grocery store—you're about to start using it a whole lot more often. First up: try Gonzalez's bread.
