My kids love cinnamon toast. Big surprise, right? Well, we’ve
been absolute fiends for it since I saw the Pin for The Pioneer Woman’s version
of cinnamon toast, "the right way". Then my friend Ashlie reposted and reminded me again how great it is.
Here is our version. It’s really the same with some cookie
cutter shapes. But in our house shapes make all the difference.
Here is the original here:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/the-right-way-and-the-wrong-way-to-make-cinnamon-toast/
It isn’t tricky or anything, but the way you make it can
make a big difference, and I am so glad she shared! The three changes include baking your cinnamon toast
instead of broiling it, making a paste to spread on the bread, and adding
vanilla. That vanilla was a brilliant addition.
Start by preheating your oven to 350°. So you melt soften
your butter in the microwave; it usually takes about 20 seconds for 4-5
tablespoons of butter for my microwave. This is the amount I use for 4 pieces
of toast. It really depends on how much you want on each piece, but I follow
the Pioneer Woman’s way of covering the entire piece with a thick coating of
the yummy sugary-cinnamon mixture. Then you add in your sugar and cinnamon, and
then a teaspoon of vanilla. Moosh, smoosh, mush, all good words and non-words
for the action you take next to incorporate all the ingredients. Then you
spread it on your bread and pop it into the oven. I cook mine for 8 minutes
instead of the recommended 10, but again, this depends on your oven.
Now, when mine comes out of the oven, I let it sit a minute
to cool.
Then we choose our shapes! Right now we are into Easter and
Spring shapes, plus whatever happens to be around, so we get a lot of requests
for chicks, flowers, butterflies, and tulips. I also make crowns out of part of
the tulip cookie cutter when I am running out of toast! I use small heart
cutters for the small areas too.
And there is an added bonus for mommy of
getting to eat the leftover pieces! As an aside I will say that I have tried cutting the bread dry and cutting it with the spread on it before it goes in the oven, but the easiest for me has been to cut it after it is baked and cooled a little bit. That's just me. And the kids don't care as long as I make it!
Cinnamon-butter-sugar-vanilla joy all around!
