dreaming of cinnamon

If there was another flavour besides chocolate that would definitely entice me on a dessert menu, it would be the mysteriously olfactory word ‘cinnamon’. More often than not, it would either be accompanied by its famed frolicking fruit partner, or seeking comfort in every curve of a fluff.

However, I’m pretty sure that any cinnamon fan can attest to those days when you just wish to embrace the seemingly unadulterated taste of cinnamon. A dessert that would boast its spicy sweet scent, flatter its deep golden brown freckles, and evoke comforting reminiscence of simplicity. And when one of those quiet afternoons drop by, one must surely allow vivid specifications of the mental palate take reign over the day’s epicurean escapism.

While it is none too many, I am absolutely relieved that the texture and taste I had envisioned manifested itself immaculately within the wedges of a 7-inch pan. And it is definitely heartening to discover that for all of the times I’ve blasphemously pictured cinnamon instead of chocolate amidst forkfuls of my brownie, the vision was not too far off. I used my favourite chewy brownie recipe as the base, tweaked the ingredients, and found myself resisting eating two slices in one sitting.

Moist and chewy with the sharp tang of cinnamon wafting through every refreshing bite, only one slice was left after three hours. And that was just between the parents and myself. Despite its appearance (wedge/slice vis-a-vis square), I’ve decided to call these blondies, rather than cinnamon flop or cinnamon coffee cake, because its chewy texture lies somewhere between a brownie and a cookie, yet its tight crumb is reminiscent of a coffee cake and a fudgey brownie.

Chewy Snickerdoodle Blondies

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg

Topping:
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 – 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 7-inch round pan, or 8-inch square pan.
2. Melt the butter over low heat. As soon as melted, turn off the heat and stir in the sugar. Leave to cool for a minute.
3. Add in the egg, and beat the mixture until smooth.
4. Stir in the flour and baking powder until there are no longer traces of them in the mixture.
5. Spread the mixture (it will be very thick!) into the prepared pan.
6. Combine the white sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over the surface of the batter.
7. Bake for 15-22 mins, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.