Monday, February 14, 2005
Wake up the family with cinnamon
Few things smell as good in the morning as cinnamon, but don’t limit this spice to cinnamon rolls and coffee cake. Serve cinnamon coffee and biscuits together for a delicious theme breakfast or separately to incorporate cinnamon into a variety of menus. Either way, the aroma that fills the house should be enough to get even the sleepiest heads out of bed.
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Cinnamon-Sugar Coffee
2/3 cup ground coffee
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons granulated sugar or firmly packed brown sugar
6 cups cold water
Milk and additional sugar, optional
Place coffee and cinnamon in filter in brew basket of coffee maker. Place sugar in bottom of carafe of coffee maker. Fill coffee maker with water; brew. When brewing is complete, remove carafe and carefully stir coffee mixture with wooden spoon until well mixed. Serve immediately. Add milk and additional sugar to individual servings if desired. Makes 7 servings.
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For an extra special treat, substitute homemade buttermilk biscuits for the canned biscuits.
Jelly and Spice Biscuits
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 12-ounce tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits, uncooked
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Dip top and sides of each biscuit in butter, then in cinnamon mixture. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. With the end a wooden spoon handle, make a deep indentation in the center of each biscuit. Divide preserves evenly between biscuits, placing about 1 teaspoon in each indentation. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Because preserves will be hot, allow biscuits to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 10 biscuits.
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This topping is perfect for pancakes, French toast and waffles.
Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup maple pancake syrup
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
In a saucepan over low heat, heat butter, syrup and cinnamon until butter is melted. Stir until smooth. Serve warm. Makes about 3/4 cup.
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Pantry Pointers
Purchase cinnamon in small quantities as it loses its flavor over time. When stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container, ground cinnamon usually keeps about six months. But since cinnamon loses its aroma as it loses its flavor, give your cinnamon a good sniff before using it.
Make your own cinnamon-sugar for toast by mixing 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
The Practical Pantry ©2005 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com