Sugar and spice
Spongy pud
I wonder how cinnamon would feel at being classed as “over-rated” by some in the food profession? Probably like a victim of the tall poppy syndrome. It has also been described as cloying when used in sweet dishes, and has an image of being too cute. Ouch!
Personally, I find cinnamon to be an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen and always have a jar of good quality quills and ground cinnamon, which can be purchased from Golden Bay Organics.
I use the quills in all sorts of dishes, not for overpowering flavour, but for an interesting hint of spice that can just be detected by those in the know. Added to a dish of meat to be cooked slowly, as in a tagine or a braise, cinnamon can flavour and enhance the dish by imparting its spice notes subtly over time. Often the only ingredients in a tagine will be some sliced onions, some ground ginger, water and a cinnamon quill. The resulting dish is so flavourful and aromatic that you would find it hard to believe how simple it actually is.
I also reach for the jar of quills when poaching fruit. Make a sugar syrup: put into a pot three parts of water to one part sugar and allow to simmer for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and look syrupy, then add a cinnamon quill and your prepared fruit. Poach gently until the fruit is tender. Leave the quill in with the fruit to further infuse.
It’s no surprise that cinnamon is a spice note often used in perfumes . . . all the better for attracting the male of the species. Men are particularly drawn to cinnamon (and vanilla). I imagine it’s due to those comforting memories of dear old mum’s cooking! Cinnamon does impart a warm note, which is probably why we use it more in winter, and why it conjures up thoughts of a white European Christmas where smells of sugar and spice permeate the house.
Cinnamon complements the flavours of so many other foods, both sweet and savoury. Add to pickles and chutneys, use to flavour custard and ice cream, add to homemade granola or porridge, sticky oat and raisin cookies, cinnamon sugar on pinwheel scones or baked stuffed apples. Apples of course, as well as many other fruits. Chocolate…ever tried Rosy Glow’s cinnamon chocolate? Perfect!
A particularly refreshing dessert at this time is peeled and sliced oranges with a little cinnamon sprinkled on top. Cinnamon coffee cake for morning tea used to be so popular and still should be, as these two ingredients are a marriage made in heaven. Use a cinnamon quill to stir your coffee, hot chocolate or even a cup of tea.
Cinnamon quills are rolled segments of the inner bark of a fragrant type of laurel (Cinnamomum verum), a tree indigenous to Sri Lanka. A good tree will produce for almost two centuries.
While the nights are still cold it’s the perfect time to whip up this old pud and serve it with a scoop of ice cream with maybe a jug of runny cream on the side. This recipe can easily be doubled and it tastes great the next day, eaten straight from the fridge when no one is looking.
Tony Orman’s Baked Apple Roll
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of golden syrup
¾ cup of brown sugar
60g butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
1 cup of plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup of milk
2 large apples
¼ cup of sultanas
1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground
¼ cup of brown sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Generously butter a baking dish.
Put the water, syrup and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook until slightly thickened and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter it until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the milk and mix quickly to a stiff dough. Roll out on a lightly floured bench into a rectangle about the same length as the baking dish you intend cooking the roll in.
Peel and grate the apples onto the dough and sprinkle on the sultanas, cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up as for a sponge roll and place into the greased baking dish. At this stage you may feel that the roll looks a little small, or a bit raggedy, but do not fear. This is one of those amazing dishes that transforms into a gorgeous puffed up golden spongy pud with a caramel sauce to boot. Using a sharp knife, slice through the roll at 1-inch intervals. Take the syrup (it must be boiling) and pour over the roll. Bake for about 45 minutes. Cool a little before enjoying.
Serves 4-6.
Fiona Feasey
