Saffron - ingredient spotlight # 1

saffron or saffright?

I’m gonna be so for real with you, 50% of the reason I bought this saffron from Trader Joe’s is because of the cute little jar it comes in… BUT I have been wanting to bake with it, so this is the perfect opportunity to start this lil’ series, ingredient spotlight. I’m sure many of you already know way more about saffron than I did, but just in case you don’t, here’s a little run down:

What is saffron?

The spice “saffron” is the dried stigmas and styles (or pistils, the thread-like reproductive parts growing in the center of a flower bloom) from a purple flower called the Crocus Sativus. Because each flower contains only 3 stigmas and because it’s harvested by hand (producing 1 ounce of saffron per 75,000 flowers) it’s considered the most expensive spice in the world.

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What does saffron taste like?

earthy and floral

honey, musky, mushroom, pungent, fresh, hay, grassy

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Complimentary flavors:

olive oil, orange, rose, cardamom, citrus, pistachio, cherry, milk, vanilla

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Because of its subtle, nuanced flavor, it’s easy to overpower saffron with ingredients with stronger flavors and is better paired with similarly mild ingredients.

To start, I wanted to get an idea of the taste of saffron, unadulterated by any other flavors; to that end I made saffron shortbread with:

• 6 T butter, softened

• 2 T granulated sugar

• 21 cup all-purpose flour

• approx. 1 tsp saffron threads

• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Massage the saffron thread into the sugar to break them up and release flavors. Cream the butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add the flour to butter mixture. Add in one to two teaspoons of the lemon juice, just enough to make the dough come together.

2. Roll each half into a log (roughly 1½-inch tall). Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour

3. Preheat oven to 350°.

4. Remove one dough roll from refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Slice into ½ inch pieces, roll the edges in sugar, and place on a lined cookie sheet.

5. Bake twenty minutes or until set. Remove to wire rack immediately.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the spice’s flavor all on its own. If I had to describe it, it made these cookies taste -to me- like I’d left the butter unwrapped in the fridge for 2 weeks. The dreaded fridge flavor. I think paired with other flavors, you could really bring out the best notes of the saffron; However, due to the high price and my lack of fondness for it, I won’t be experimenting with saffron again in the near future. If I were, these are my first ideas right off the dome, feel free to use them….

Flavor Profiles I Would Explore with Saffron:

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I think it would be nice to play into the floral notes and pair it with chamomile. As much as you don’t want to overpower the delicate, floral and earthy notes, I’d want to brighten it up with a fruit. I saw cherries at the market the other day and I can’t get the vision of a soft pink cherry cream contrasting the rusty yellow of a saffron cream, the two marbled and cascading over a chamomile chiffon cake.

Alternatively, leaning into the spiciness by adding cardamom, ginger, and maybe a lemon zest to make a sort of gingerbread or spice cookie would complement the saffron well.

Have you baked with saffron before? I’d love to hear your thoughts or favorite recipes to make with it. :)))