Cinnamon Toast

I think most of us have certain childhood memories that are so happy, so comforting that they never fade. I know I do, and many of them involve food. Cinnamon Toast is right up at the top of my list.

I don’t remember how old I was when I first had a piece of toast with butter, cinnamon and sugar on it, but I must have been very young. I say that, because I can’t remember a time that I didn’t absolutely love it. I can remember eating it in Germany as a toddler, though, and that was about age 3 (or earlier). I’ve never lost my love for it, even as an adult.

When I was a child, we mostly had Cinnamon Toast on Saturdays. I’d always get up early so I could catch all the Warner Brothers cartoons. I loved Bugs and his pals – especially the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. That one cartoon where the coyote tries to use a catapult to smash the Road Runner was one of the best pieces of comedy I ever saw. Every time he tried to use that thing, it would do something different, but always bash him instead of the Road Runner. (YT clip here)

And Duck Rabbit Duck has to be the best of all time featuring three of the main characters: Bugs, Daffy and Elmer. I just lost ten minutes of my day watching the clips I grabbed to link here. That’s how much I love Bugs and his friends. But we were talking about Cinnamon Toast – at least, I was. Anyhoo… down I’d race, drop four slices of bread into the toaster, mix my cinnamon and sugar, and get ready for one sweet morning!

I was quite surprised to find out that there are a ton of folks who don’t know about this delicacy, much less how to make it properly. And a lot of my friends make it wrong. And that’s why you’re reading this. Because I’m going to show you two ways to do it really, really well. Let’s go have some fun:

Photo courtesy of Foodie Wife. You can check out her take on this classic recipe here: Foodie Wife

Bread
Butter
Sugar
Cinnamon

For Version #2:

Vanilla Extract (optional)

Instructions:

Version #1:

This is the version I grew up on, and is the most popular way of making Cinnamon Toast:

Remove butter from fridge and let it soften. You can speed up this process by cutting the butter into slices.

In a small bowl or jar with a tight seal, mix sugar and cinnamon. Most recipes will tell you to mix 1/2 cup sugar with one or two tablespoons of cinnamon. I use more cinnamon, but that’s just me. Experiment until you find your perfect blend.

Toast bread to desired darkness.

As soon as it pops out of the toaster, slather each piece with butter, from one edge to the other.

Sprinkle top of each slice with sugar/cinnamon blend.

Now, if you like, you can stop right there. Let each slice sit for a minute for the butter to finish melting, and for the cinnamon to be moistened by the butter.

However, if you want to take the extra step, you can put it in a warm oven to make sure everything melts together and gets happy. This also ensures a nice, warm slice of toast.

Version #2:

I’ve been doing this for many, many years, but I got an improvement from The Pioneer Woman, an excellent blog that has some really great recipes. She’s also a hoot to read!

Preheat oven to 350°.

Soften one stick of butter.

Once softened, place in a bowl and mash it with a fork or spoon.

Add one half cup of sugar, and 2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon. This is a LOT more than TPW adds, but I like more cinnamon.

If you choose, add about 1 tablespoon of good, pure vanilla extract. (This is TPW’s trick.)

Blend it all together thoroughly.

Spread a tablespoon (or more!) on each slice of bread. Make sure you cover the entire top of each slice. You don’t want naked bread showing. First, it’s vulgar and not fit for children. Second, the uncovered areas can burn, and that will totally destroy your cinnamon experience, as well as the rest of your day. For one poor soul, it ruined his entire life. Don’t do that to yourself! Take the time to spread the stuff over the whole piece of bread.

Place slices on a baking sheet and bake for about ten minutes. Then, turn the oven to broil, and finish the toast under the broiler for a few minutes. But keep an eye on it! As soon as you see the edges starting to darken, get the toast out of the oven!

Notes:

If I’m just making a few slices as a snack or light breakfast, I’ll use Version #1. If I’m making a lot of toast (more than four slices) I’ll go with Version #2.

The bread you use will definitely effect the outcome. I grew up on plain white bread, but today I like to use thicker slices when I can find an unsliced loaf of white bread. I know a lot of people who prefer whole wheat or fancier breads. They’re great, and if you’re into them, I recommend you try them. But don’t overlook plain white bread as an option.

Likewise, the quality of your spices will effect your outcome. That’s why I always recommend you spend a little extra on good quality spices and such.

There you have it: a little peek into my childhood, and one of my all-time favorite light breakfasts. Today, why not flip over to some old Warner Brothers cartoons, make up a big ol’ batch of Cinnamon Toast and pretend you’re a child again. And, above all…

Play with your food!

Lane

Try my other Breakfasts Recipes here.

Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

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