Cinnamon Loaf


If you ask me which area of cooking you like the most, I would say baking.  Whipping up the batter, putting it into the oven and patiently waiting and peeking through the oven window are some things I enjoy with my kids while baking.  The first bite of the warm baked item is the rewarding moment of the wait.

Today's spice of interest is Cinnamon.  Cinnamon is used in sweet and savory foods world wide.  It is obtained from the inner bark of trees from the genus Cinnamomum.  Cinnamon is native to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malabar Coast of India and Burma.   It was imported to Egypt as early as 2000 BC.  There are several references to Cinnamon in Hebrew Bible.    It was regarded as expensive gift for Monarchs during ancient times.

Health benefits:
  • Some research has found that a particular type of cinnamon, cassia cinnamon, may lower blood sugar in people with diabetes.
  • Studies have shown that a very small dose of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.
  • Cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.
  • Prevention of certain types of cancers.
  • Arthritis related pain relief.
  • Anti bacterial.
  • Smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
  • A great relief for the common cough when taken with warm honey.




Store brought Cinnamon loafs were never my favorite, either they were very sweet or the ingredients in them make me dodge away from them.  But homemade items not only tastes better but give you the satisfaction of knowing the ingredients you are adding into the food.  Yesterday evening I baked this Cinnamon loaf that filled our entire house with the tempting aroma and my kids were anxiously waiting for me to pull it out of the oven.  To be honest, it was the best cinnamon loaf I ever had.   The soft and flavorful bread didn't last till this evening.  As it was already getting dark and I had to serve dinner for my family I didn't spend much time on the photo shoot, so the pictures didn't do justice to the bread.  But the texture and sweetness was perfect and it tasted divine.


Recipe Source - Everyday Light Meals Cookbook by Taste of Home

Yields -  9-in. x 5-in loaf

Ingredients
1/4 cup - softened butter
1 cup - sugar
2 - eggs
2 cups - flour
1 tsp - baking powder
1/2 tsp - baking soda
1/2 tsp - salt
1 cup - low fat buttermilk
1 tsp - vanilla extract


1 tsp - Cinnamon powder
2 tbsp - sugar

Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F.
  • Mix together softened butter, eggs and sugar till frothy for 2 minutes using a stand or hand mixture.
  • Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and add to the egg mixture.   Gently mix them with a rubber spatula.
  • Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix on high speed for 1 minute or till everything is blended together.
  • Mix 1 tsp of cinnamon with 2 tbsp of sugar in a bowl.
  • Pour 3/4 of the batter into a greased loaf pan.  Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture on the batter.  Use a butter knife and make some swirls.  
  • Pour rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle the top with rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture.
  • Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested at the center of the loaf.
Notes
  • Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.
  • The loaf can be left outside for couple of days.  You can also store the bread in an air tight container in refrigerator for a week.


Popular Posts