Chinese Take-Out: Chinese Five Spice Powder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons szechuan peppercorns
8 whole star anise
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation

Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium-low heat. Add peppercorns and shake pan back and forth for 2-3 minutes.
Immediately put peppercorns into a spice grinder, along with the star anise and fennel seed. Grind until the spices are finely powdered. Sift the spices through a fine mesh strainer and discard what remains behind. Put powdered spices back into the grinder and add the ground cinnamon and ground clove. Mix again until thoroughly combined.
Store in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place for 4-6 months. (I usually make a double batch and use a small (4 oz) baby food jar for storage).
Enjoy your \"Home-made Chinese Five Spice Powder\"!