When I was younger, my favorite afternoon snack was toast. I'd stick white bread in the toaster, press down the lever and step back immediately, lest the toast spring back with a loud POP! When it was ready, I'd spread margarine across the toast, watching little mounds of yellow melt into the pores and glisten in the afternoon light. Each mouthful exploded with the salty sweet flavor of fat.
I am still a lover of toast, but mainly for breakfast. Actually, the only reason I roll out of bed is for my morning meal. I've been living on the same breakfast everyday for weeks now and I'm not ready to move on. May I introduce you to: Cinnamon Toast, a cousin to French Toast. Similar in taste and aroma, but different in style, Cinnamon Toast doesn't go dipping into an egg wash nor gets fried in a pan. All you need is bread, butter, cinnamon and sugar.
I like to toast the bread for a few minutes till it begins to brown. Then I coat a layer of salted butter, drizzle maple syrup, sprinkle ground cinnamon and throw it back in the toaster, allowing the sugar to mingle with the fat and warm spice. Keep an eye on it because burnt toast will ruin your morning, after a minute or so it's time to take it out.
Sadly, I've run out of maple syrup and have been using white granulated sugar instead. It's a lovely substitute. The sugar crystals aren't given enough time to melt, adding a sandy texture to the toast without losing its flavor. I imagine brown sugar would be divine, or if you had honey, you could use that too.
Cinnamon toast, the tastiest start to your day. What's your favorite breakfast?
Cinnamon Toast
Inspired by Leite's Culinaria
Ingredients
2 slices of bread (white or whole wheat, it's up to you)
2 tablespoons of salted butter
¼ tsp of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of maple syrup (or whatever your heart desires: honey, white sugar, brown sugar)
Preparation
1. Toast bread until middle begins to brown, about 4 minutes in a 350°F toaster oven
2. Carefully take out hot toast, spread butter evenly on one side of each slice
3. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of maple syrup over each slice and sprinkle cinnamon
4. Pop back into toaster for 1-2 minutes, careful not to let it burn. Plate and enjoy with a tall glass of milk. Recipe here!
I start nearly every morning with toast (Silver Hills Big 16 or 20 Grain Train are my breads of choice), topped with raw almond butter and sliced banana. Sweet, but still healthy ;)
ReplyDeleteThough recently I splurged on some Peanut Butter & Co. "The Heat is On" peanut butter - that stuff packs a punch!
OOH! I love almond butter! I've been hooked to natural peanut butter straight from the jar.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds awesome, I've never seen that Peanut Butter and Co. flavor, though I have tried the Mighty Maple, it was excellent.