Spices

Whole spices perform better than ground spices, because once they have steeped in the liquid, they can be completely strained out. Ground spices are very fine powders than can pass through even the finest-mesh strainer and give the frozen product a gritty texture. This holds true especially for ground cinnamon, which also has a slight thickening effect on liquids when hot. Toasting the spices and then adding them to a hot liquid will increase the flavor significantly.