I’ll be perfectly honest – this week’s Appetite for Adventure was not about y’all. I know, I know, I’m breaking the “feature writer code” … we do ALL things for our readers, right?. But that’s a lie… about a 20% lie most times, and in cases like today… closer to 95%.
So here’s the deal. There are a lot of cool places in Georgia, but one that has always caught my fancy is Dahlonega. From the first time I heard about it (well, as soon as I got past the “how the heck do you spell that” moment) I was intrigued. Possessing a mountain-bred soul laced with gold-mine memories, Dahlonega antes up her wine-country sensibilities against neighboring Dawsonville’s moonshine mischief (now that’s an article for a later date!) – and it’s hard to determine a winner.
Despite my fascination with the history and atmosphere of Dahlonega, I’ve only managed to visit a couple times in the years I’ve lived here. So hearing of the downtown Spice & Tea Exchange gave me the perfect excuse to visit Dahlonega for this edition of Appetite for Adventure (although, if I’m honest, I was also kinda hoping for a wrong turn to take me to the Crimson Moon – and if you’ve never heard of Ashley McBryde, take my word for it, and head to YouTube and check out “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” – you can thank me later.)
But, back to the topic of spice. Spice is the breath and soul of any culinary endeavor (insert personal opinion disclaimer here). From the savory to the sweet, the mild to the, well, spicy, it is the flavors and scents, the solo notes and pairings, the combinations, the ratios and the “just a pinch” details that can make or break any recipe – and most of the time, it is a spice that is the “secret ingredient” that turns a dish from ho-hum into a family tradition.
So yes, learning that a Spice & Tea Exchange was located as close as Dahlonega, not hours away in Asheville, North Caroline, was incentive to point the nose of the intrepid minivan towards Dahlonega. The fact that the town is also known as one of the most “Christmassy” boutique shopping destinations in North (or all of) Georgia didn’t hurt, as I had some leftover Christmas shopping to do. Little did I know that I would run into a miniature “culinary row” in the midst of the town’s bustling, season-spirit filled downtown square.
A word of warning – if you do decide to dash to Dahlonega for dinner and shopping, be aware that parking is more rare than a gold nugget lying in the middle of the street. My recommendation is to follow East Main and turn north on N. Park Street, past the cute little postage-stamp Hancock Park with its collection of Christmas trees and a cool looking playground. A block up the hill (be prepared for the hike back up to the car – I wasn’t) on the left is a free parking lot, and I only had to circle the lot 3 times before a spot opened up.
After parking and making my way back down the hill, past the small grouping of food trucks doing brisk business, I headed towards where I thought I’d find the Spice & Tea Exchange … but a funny thing happened on the way to the Exchange – namely, an ice cream parlor, a wine tasting room, a fudge shop, a jerky store, and an olive oil and vinegar boutique.
I walked away much lighter in the pocketbook, but gift-rich, recipe-ready and holiday-happy. And that was all before I even set foot in any of the many gift, trinket and craft stores that crowd the downtown shopping square – many featuring the wares of local artisans. I was also, sadly, informed that the Crimson Moon ‘dive bar’ no longer exists, at least not in its original form, but the disappointment was quickly numbed as I stumbled across one final chocolate shop on my way back to the car.
Suffice it to say, I highly recommend a visit to downtown Dah-lone-ga (the only way I can remember how to spell it), whether it is for a holiday foray, or a more leisurely exploration throughout the rest of the year.
IF YOU GO:
Culinary row:
Connie’s Ice Cream & Sandwich Shop – Hot and cold sandwiches, ice cream by the scoop, sundaes and more. (Be sure to check out the paninis).
Dahlonega Tasting Room – Tasting room for @habershamwinery and @etowahmeadery, as well as a boutique shop. (As always, adventure wisely, and drive soberly.)
Outlaw Jerky & Trail Grub – Jerky – of more types than imaginable – as well as hot sauces, local jams & jellies, and pet treats. (I come from generations of West Texas ranchers; jerky was a staple, and it still never even crossed my mind that there were so many varieties of jerky – nor that there would be such a difference in flavors – some subtle, some definitively Not subtle – depending on the meat source. Bison, salmon, elk, alligator and so many more. Outlaw carries a number of small-batch brands, as well as their own Dahlonega Jerky Tender Steakhouse and Taste Local lines. Be sure to check out their Moonshine Jerky – pork tenderloin marinated in white lightning moonshine with a light maple glaze.
Dahlonega Fudge Factory – Specializing in hand dipped chocolates, confections and over 15 varieties of cream & butter fudge. (Warning – olfactory overload begins here…proof that gastronomy begins long before the taste buds ever get involved.)
Alpine Olive Tree – Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar boutique shop and tasting room. (If you thought tasting rooms were limited to alcohols, you will be blown away by the sensory experience of this wonderful little shop. The olfactory overload continues here, as the rich, tangy, delicious scents of an amazingly large variety of virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars completely engulf your senses before even the first taste. And don’t let the uniqueness of “sampling” oils and vinegars dissuade you, it is a culinary experience you won’t regret – and the staff at Alpine Olive Tree is extremely knowledgeable about the nuances and subtleties of the different blends and decantations. And be sure to check out some of the recommended recipes on their website to try out your purchases!
Finally, The Tea & Spice Exchange – the reason behind this trip to begin with. More than 140 spices, 75+ hand-mixed seasoning blends, sugars, salts, teas, gourmet gifts and accessories. (Unbelievably, this store, to me, was a delight of scents that rivaled even the chocolate shop – and that’s saying a lot. I will admit to coming to a dead stop as soon as I walked in, and yes, I might have even closed my eyes for a brief second to absorb the scents. For me, spices always seem like the doorway to such an exotic adventure – a glimpse into other countries, cultures, and cuisines.
Trust me, if you’ve made do with shelf-bought, mass-produced spices, you are in for a surprise, and a treat. After much internal debate about just how many new spice packets (sorry, that phrase brought an instant image of blowing sand and MacLachlan’s electric blue eyes) I could actually sneak into my budget, I came home with some Chocolate Chai Black Tea, their specialty Wild Game Spice Blend (I think I’m going to have to do a hunting-focused Appetite for Adventure edition sometime soon!) some granulated maple syrup, and, for this week’s recipe, some ground Ceylon cinnamon, cloves, ginger and a few whole nutmegs.
Bonus: Not adjoining the other shops on this list, but just around the corner, as I headed back to the car with my treasure trove of spices, was Paul Thomas Chocolates, where not only can you sample, and buy, some of the most delectable confections, but you can watch them making each batch right there in the shop. I highly recommend their own Dahlonega Gold Bar chocolates, with golden raisins and pecans – and the chocolate dipped potato chips are an experience worth the try.
And, last, but not least, this week’s recipe – just in time to put your new spices to use for a delicious Christmas morning treat to tide you over during the gift-opening chaos until it’s time for the Christmas feast.
CHRISTMAS MORNING MUFFINS
Muffin Batter Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey (always use local honey if possible)
- ¼ cup molasses (true molasses, not blackstrap, blackstrap is too high in sodium and has too bitter of an aftertaste for this recipe; it will overwhelm the ginger.
- ½ firmly packed cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 7 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 3 Tbs. canola oil (vegetable oil is also an acceptable neutral-flavor option)
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, scooped into measuring cup and leveled with a knife – do not pack down
- ¾ cup rye flour (if you don’t have rye flour, substitute 1:1 with additional all-purpose flour, and reduce water by 1 Tbs.
- 1 ¼ Tbs. spice blend (recipe below)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1Tbs. spiced rum (optional – replace with orange juice if desired)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs. fresh orange zest (about ½ an orange)
- 1 large egg yolk
- Orange marmalade
Glaze ingredients
- ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 3 Tbs. freshly squeezed orange juice
Process
- Preheat oven to 375
- Add butter, oil, water, honey and brown sugar to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and place on a cold stove burner. Bring heat to medium heat, stirring constantly, and heat just until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from the burner and set aside – you want it to cool slightly, but still be warm when combined with the dry ingredients.
- Sift flour(s), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices into a medium mixing bowl. Turn a few times with a spoon to make sure everything is mixed together well.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into the honey mixture, adding the dry ingredients in batches and folding just until incorporated (people who tell you to fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients are backwards).
- Continuing to use the rubber spatula in a folding motion, add the rum (or orange juice), vanilla extract, orange zest and egg yolk, again mixing just until well-blended. Do not over-mix.
- Butter the cups of a muffin pan (regular size – not the mini ones, or the giant ones) and fill each mold 1/2 full.
- Using the back of a spoon, make an indentation in the middle of each muffin and add 1-2 teaspoons orange marmalade.
- Spoon additional batter over the marmalade till muffin cups are nearly full.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes. Tops should be turning golden, and the dough should spring back when touched lightly.
- While muffins are baking, sift powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and stir in juice, mixing by hand until sugar is dissolved. Glaze will be thin. This allows the glaze, and the flavor, to seep into the top of the muffins instead of just sitting on top.
- Using a tablespoon, pour glaze over the top of the muffins while they are still warm and in the baking tin, letting the glaze cover the top of the muffins and seep down the sides. Leave muffins in tins to cool before removing.
Spice Mixture:
- 5 tsp. Ground cinnamon (ceylon preferred, followed by Saigon)
- 4 tsp. Ground ginger
- 4 whole star anise
- 2 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tsp. ground mace
- 2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground white pepper
Place all the spices in a grinder (can use a coffee bean grinder if you don’t have a spice grinder. In a pinch, a processor such as a NutriBullet should work) and grind until it’s a smooth powder.
