Q: Can I make my own ground cinnamon from cinnamon sticks?

A: Actually, the best way to enjoy cinnamon's rich fragrance is to grind it yourself. Toast the sticks briefly, then grind them in an electric coffee mill dedicated to spice grinding, or with a mortar and pestle. Sift the ground spice before measuring it to ensure a fine, even grind. One 4-inch-long cinnamon stick yields about 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Because home-ground cinnamon is more pungent than packaged ground cinnamon, you may wind up using less of it than the recipe calls for.