Season: Spring - Fall
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Cinnamon basil, also known as Mexican spice basil, has a spicy, fragrant aroma and flavor. It contains methyl cinnamate, giving it a flavor reminiscent of cinnamon. Cinnamon basil has somewhat narrow, slightly serrated, dark green, shiny leaves with reddish-purple veins, which can resemble certain types of mint, and produces small, pink flowers from July to September. Its stems are dark purple. Cinnamon basil grows to 18–30 inches tall.
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Mature Height
2 Feet |
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Mature Width
1 Foot |
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Light
Sun |
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Water
Moderate |
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Uses
Cinnamon basil is used in teas and baked goods such as cookies and pies. It is also used in pastas, salads, jellies, and vinegars. Outside the kitchen, cinnamon basil is used in dried arrangements and as a potpourri.
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RECIPES
Cinnamon Basil Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup lightly packed cinnamon basil leaves, finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I used Ceylon)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions:
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the basil until well-combined. Mix in the salt through vanilla and then slowly mix in the flour until combined.
Turn the dough onto a couple large sheets of plastic wrap. The dough will be crumbly as shortbread is. Try to bring the dough together and use the plastic wrap to form it into a log about 2.5-3 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight (I like to refrigerate longer to let the flavors really permeate the dough).
When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the cookies into about 1/4-inch disks. If they fall apart or crumble a little, just use your hands to reshape. I like to cut off the ends and then roll them with any crumbs of dough and flatten into disk shapes for a couple extra cookies.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are just lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for another couple of minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Store in an airtight container.
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