“Show Us Your…Spice Collection!” a blogging event

I felt like taking a break from stocks and sauces and participating in another fun event this week. Gabi at The Feast Within has picked up the reins of Ilva’s (Lucullian Delights) original blogging event called “Show Us Your…” and chose to have everyone show off their spice collections.

This was a good opportunity for me to finish a job I started in January to organize my spices. For Christmas, I was given a gift certificate to the local Stay Organized shop and bought some spice jars that I needed along with some cool clear labels. Well, the black text on these cool clear labels didn’t show up on the nice black-lidded spice jars that I usually buy at the grocery store. So, what turned out to be replacing about 10 spice jars grew to replacing almost all of my 65 jars. It must have been my OCD kicking in. Now, I still have some unused labels that I have a burning desire to match with the appropriate spice, but who uses “Bouquet Garni” (as a spice/herb, that is) and what the heck is “Bon Appetit Seasoning”.

Now, a little bit about cinnamon.

Proust Questions for Cinnamon

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being used in an old family recipe.

What is your most marked characteristic?
My scent.

When and where were you happiest?
Sitting between Cilantro and Cinnamon Sticks.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be?
Saffron

Enough silliness. Onto one of our favorite recipes in our family that uses cinnamon.

Sour Cream and Yogurt Cinnamon Coffee Cake

adapted from Bon Appétit

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a tube pan or bundt pan. (I’ve also made muffins, mini bundts, and loaves using this recipe. Anything goes.)

Spoon half of batter into pan. Sprinkle half of brown sugar mixture over (swirling to make a marbled effect, if you like). Spoon remaining batter over. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture over.

Bake cake for about 1 hour until tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn out and let cool completely. (Can be made ahead or frozen.)