Cinnamon toast may not be a sophisticated dish, but it is forgiving, and the version my mother made is one of the few things she cooked that I remember fondly. The recipe below pushes the idea several steps beyond the usual butter-and-sugar treatment. Buttered slices are toasted, soaked in a syrup made with cinnamon sticks, pressed into cinnamon sugar, and then fried sugar-side down in butter, so the coating melts and the edges caramelize into something close to candy.
Info
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Syrup
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 3 cinnamon sticks
For the Toast
- 4 slices Pullman loaf or whole wheat bread, each 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick
- 8 tablespoons (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Confectioners' (icing) sugar, optional
Instructions
- Start the syrup. Put the sugar, cinnamon sticks, and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently so the sugar dissolves. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cinnamon smell is strong. Take the pan off the heat and let the syrup cool. It can be stored in the refrigerator for as long as 3 weeks.
- Butter and brown the bread. Spread 3 to 4 tablespoons of the butter over both sides of every slice. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the bread, then set a large heat-safe plate or cake pan on top of it; the plate should fit inside the skillet. If the plate is light, weight it with a few cans of beans or tomatoes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bread is golden brown. The weight is what presses the whole surface of the crumb against the hot fat and the hot pan, which is how you get an even golden-brown crust. Lift off the plate and weights, turn the slices over, and brown the second side for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more. Brush one side of each slice generously with the cinnamon syrup; use enough to saturate the bread, but stop short of making it soggy.
- Make the cinnamon sugar. Stir the sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl. Move all but 2 teaspoons of the mixture onto a plate. Dip each slice of toast in the cinnamon sugar, syrup side down.
- Caramelize the sugared side. Melt the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and lay the toast in the skillet, sugared side down. Place a large heat-safe plate on top to press the toast down, adding one or two cans of beans as weights. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges of the bread are caramelized and the sugar has melted completely and shines across the surface.
- Serve. Plate each slice caramelized side up. Sprinkle with some of the cinnamon sugar you set aside, and add confectioners' sugar if you like.
