North African Ras El Hanout Spice Mix

A "must" for nearly all Tagines, Couscous & North African recipes; I can always obtain it here in France but, as I list this in so many of my recipes I thought I would devise a "copycat" or cheat's spice mix which you can make up & have handy! It will be almost impossible to replicate this spice exactly as the orginal can contain up to 50 spices & very exotic ones such as rose petals, lavender, nigella & grains of paradise, but I have tried to incorporoate all the Traditional elements of this exotic mix, with spices that will be easily & readily available in most countries! Store it in an airtight & preferably dark tin/container, and in a cool & dry place; depending on the freshness of the spices you have used & your storage conditions, this should last for up to 6 months. You can buy this as Yellow or Red Ras-el-Hanout, I have made up the yellow version - it's the one I mainly use in my cooking! Please note - this is NOT a hot spice mix - but an aromatic & very fragrant one! If you want to "perk" it up a bit, add more cayenne pepper. I have added optional ingredients - spices which may be difficult to obtain, but if you have them, add them!! Would make a great gift too! Recipes that use Ras-el-Hanout are: Easy Crock Pot Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot Tagine Fragrant Moroccan Beef, Date, Honey and Prune Tagine - Crock Pot and Cheat's Easy Spiced Couscous With Fruit and Nuts - in a Jar!