The Chronicle-News Trinidad, Colorado Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 Page 3

Cinnamon Toast & Cinnamon Chai Tea

This feature first appeared on Wednesday Jan 25, 2017 Cinnamon A little spice makes everything nice

Catherine J. Moser gooey cinnamon pastry rounds covered with Features Editor a generous layer of sweet icing, these treats The Chronicle-News were nothing short of spectacular. My own Grandma Greer made rice pud- The spice we call cinnamon has an inter- ding and baked custard that had just enough esting and ancient history. At one time this cinnamon and sugar in them to make the an- Images by Metro Creative and Pixabay delicious inner bark of a certain tree was con- gels sing. I wish I had a bowl full of either one sidered to be a gift fit for royalty. It was con- of them right now. Try as I might, I just can’t sidered to be more valuable than gold and also ever seem to make rice pudding like Grandma spice, I discovered that cinnamon is native would be without the pizzazz that spice gives used as money. did. I don’t know what she did exactly, but to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Malabar Coast recipes. Pumpkin pie during the holidays Now, I don’t know about all that as much as her’s was always perfect. of India and Burma. About 35,000 tons are would be so boring without that one compo- I do the cinnamon toast that my mama made Many beverages just wouldn’t be the same harvested each year from a combination of nent. It’s no wonder at all to me that cinnamon for us when we were little. It was a special treat without a sprinkle of cinnamon to complete the two types of cinnamon bark species. Cin- was considered more valuable than gold. that made me feel like royalty. Sometimes for them. Coffee lattes and chia teas are prime ex- namon has an array of wonderful health Today’s recipes are basically simple and breakfast we’d have this wonderful combo amples of how cinnamon takes a drink from benefits. Various studies show that eating a easy to prepare. All of them take advantage of along with oatmeal and bacon. It was definite- ordinary to extraordinary. Again, the aroma little cinnamon every day is believed to help the amazing taste that cinnamon has to offer ly a popular favorite in our house. Crispy and of cinnamon is such an amazing part of the everything from arthritis pain to diabetes and a dish. That last one, Sopapilla Cheesecake, is full of flavor, cinnamon toast was heavenly — experience. Nothing takes the chill off a cold Parkinson’s disease. Do a little research for incredible. I’ve made it before and it’s pretty and that smell – unforgettable! winter day like the yummy taste of a cinna- yourself and see if you think you might ben- marvelous. As I recall, not a single serving was My girls’ great grandmother, Grandma Per- mon-enhanced hot drink. One of my favorite efit from adding a little bit of this spice on a left over. Why don’t you give it a try? rin, was the champion cinnamon roll maker in coffee creamers has cinnamon in it. A cup of regular basis to your diet. There’s a lot of in- Happy cooking wtih cinnamon, everyone! our family. I don’t suppose we ever celebrated coffee tastes wonderfully delicious first thing formation online about this. a holiday while she was alive without her rolls in the early morning with a generous splash of Such a simple thing — spice — but what — being the star attractions in the festivities. that cinnamon creamer. a huge difference it makes in our lives. Just Questions or comments? Please email: Everyone loved them. Great big, tender and During my computer research for this think how plain and tasteless some things [email protected]

~ What would the world be like without a little cinnamon flavor? ~ Simple Cinnamon 25 minutes. Turn rolls out on a serving tray. Simple Cinnamon Rolls & Glaze Rolls & Glaze FOR THE GLAZE: Add milk ROLLS: to the confectioners’ sugar 1/3 cup butter and stir well, adding more 1 cup packed brown sugar liquid if necessary to make a 3 teaspoons ground cin- thin glaze. Drizzle over cinna- namon mon rolls. 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder Easy Overnight 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter, chilled Apple Cinnamon 1 cup cold milk 1/3 cup currants French Toast (or golden raisins) 3/4 cup butter, melted GLAZE: 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup confectioners’ 1 teaspoon ground cin- Fresh Coffee with Whipped Cream & Cinnamon sugar, sifted namon 3 tablespoons milk 2 (21 ounce) cans apple pie filling 20 slices white bread for 2 minutes, or until the cinnamon. Mix in oil, egg and Preheat oven to 400 de- 6 eggs syrup begins to caramelize. milk. Fold in apples. Spoon grees F. Grease the bottoms 1 1/2 cups milk Remove from the oven and let batter into prepared muffin and sides of a 12-cup muffin 1 teaspoon vanilla extract stand for 10 minutes, then cut cups, filling to the top of the tin. 1/2 cup maple syrup into squares. Invert the pan cup. Cream 1/3 cup butter, onto a serving tray or baking In a small bowl, stir togeth- brown sugar, and cinnamon Grease a 9x13-inch bak- sheet so the apple filling is on er 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, together. Drop 1 teaspoon into ing pan. In a small bowl, stir top. Serve hot. butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons each muffin cup. Reserve the together the melted butter, cinnamon. Mix together with remaining mixture. brown sugar and cinnamon. fork and sprinkle over un- In a large bowl, combine Spread the sugar mixture Easy Apple Cinnamon baked muffins. flour, sugar, baking powder, into the bottom of the pre- Bake in preheated oven for and salt. Cut in 1/4 cup cold pared pan. Spread the apple Muffins 20 to 25 minutes, until a tooth- butter until crumbly. Make pie filling evenly over the pick inserted into center of a a well in center, and pour in sugar mixture. Layer the 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour muffin comes out clean. the milk. Stir to form a soft bread slices on top of the fill- 3/4 cup white sugar dough, adding a bit more milk ing, pressing down as you 1/2 teaspoon salt go. In a medium bowl, beat 2 teaspoons baking powder Cinnamon Curry if needed. 1 teaspoon ground cin- Turn the dough out on the eggs with the milk and namon Tuna Salad ger and nutmeg. Simmer for cinnamon-sugar to coat. lightly floured surface. Knead vanilla. Slowly pour this mix- 1/3 cup vegetable oil 5 minutes. Pour in milk, and Place cookies on ungreased 8 to 10 times. Pat dough into ture over the bread, making 1 egg 2 (5 ounce) cans water bring to a boil. Remove from cookie sheets and bake at 300 rectangle about 1/3 inch thick sure that it is completely ab- 1/3 cup milk packed tuna, drained and heat, and strain through a degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes. sorbed. Cover the pan with 1/2 cup white sugar flaked fine sieve. Serve hot. Remove from sheets and let and 12 inches long. Spread the 1/3 cup all-purpose flour aluminum foil and refrigerate 2 teaspoons mayonnaise cool on racks. Store in cov- remaining cinnamon mix- 1/2 cup butter, cubed 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ture over dough rectangle. overnight. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground 1 tablespoon sweet pickle Cinnamon Butter ered container. Sprinkle currants over top. In the morning, preheat cinnamon relish Sugar Cookies Roll up like a jelly roll into a oven to 350 degrees F. 2 teaspoons lemon juice Sopapilla Cheesecake long log. Mark the dough first, Place covered pan into the Preheat oven to 400 de- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground oven and bake at 350 degrees grees F. Grease six muffin cinnamon 3 tablespoons white sugar to make sure you know where 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 tablespoon ground cin- 2 cans crescent roll dough to cut, then cut the log into 12 F for 60 to 75 minutes. When cups or line with paper muf- 1 teaspoon ground black namon 2 (8 oz.) packages cream done remove from oven and fin liners. 1 cup dark brown sugar cheese (room temp) slices. Place cut-side down in pepper 1 cup sugar turn on broiler. Remove foil Stir together 1 1/2 cups Salt to taste 1/2 cup white sugar the prepared muffin pan. 1 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla Bake in the preheated and drizzle maple syrup on flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, bak- 2 eggs 1/4 cup butter melted oven until golden brown, 20 to top of the egg topping; broil ing powder and 1 teaspoon In a bowl, mix the tuna, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Cinnamon mayonnaise, mustard, relish, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Sugar lemon juice, cinnamon, curry 3/4 teaspoon baking soda Pecans, chopped (optional) powder, pepper, and salt. Cov- er, and refrigerate until ready Preheat oven to 300 de- Preheat oven to 350 de- to serve. grees F. grees F. Unroll and spread Combine the 3 tablespoons 1 can crescent roll dough white sugar and the cinna- (1 sheet) on bottom of un- Cinnamon Chai Tea mon in a small bowl and set greased pan. aside. Combine softened cream 2 cups water 4 black tea bags Blend dark brown sugar cheese, sugar, and vanilla. 1/4 cup honey and white sugar in a large Be sure there are no lumps 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bowl with mixer on medium of cream cheese. Spread mix- extract ture over crescent roll dough 1 cinnamon stick speed. Add butter and blend 5 whole cloves until grainy. Add eggs and sheet 1/4 teaspoon ground car- vanilla extract, mixing until Unroll and spread second damom light and fluffy. crescent roll dough (1 sheet) 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Whisk flour, baking soda over mixture. 1 pinch ground nutmeg and salt together in a separate Brush melted butter over 2 cups milk bowl. Add to sugar mixture, the top to cover completely mixing at low speed just long and sprinkle with lots of cin- In a saucepan, bring water enough to combine. (Over- namon and sugar. Sprinkle on to a boil. Add tea, honey and mixing makes tough cookies.) chopped pecans, if desired. Sopapilla Cheesecake vanilla. Season with cinna- Roll dough into 1-inch Bake at 350 degrees for 20- mon, cloves, cardamom, gin- balls, then roll each ball into 30 minutes until done.