Also known as “Cinnamon toast with buttered fired Cox’s orange pippins” – this is one of those dishes I had planned and put on the menu before I had even tried it – it just sounded right.
The key is in getting the butter/cinnamon/sugar ratio right (although, you can’t really have too much butter!) – I cream 30g butter with 1tbsp or sugar and just under 1tbsp of cinnamon. Creaming really helps to start the sugar dissolve meaning that at the grilling stage it stands a chance of melting into the syrupy mix before the toast burns.
This is a sweet dish – its meant to be – but adding a splash of lemon juice to the apples helps cut through some of that. You could probably flambé them with brandy too if the mood took you – á la Keith Floyd – did he make it by the way, or did he end up flambéed? [→Hmm Google doesn’t seem to know…]
Cinnamon toast with buttered fired Cox’s orange pippins
2 thick slices of good white bread
40g good butter
1 Cox’s orange pippin apple
1 1/2 tbsp unrefined brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon (see above)
Squeeze of lemon
Heat the grill to medium high, toast bread well in toaster (or on both sides if under grill). Cream together 1 tbsp of the sugar, 30g of the butter and the cinnamon in a bowl with a handheld whisk. Cut apple into 8 equal sized slices (a corer is almost a necessity), heat 10g of butter in a heavy frying pan and add the apple. Fry on medium/low until they take on some colour and then add 1/2 tbsp of sugar and squeeze of lemon. Keep frying until the sugar has melt and the apples feel cooked when poked with sharp knive (don’t over cook to a sludge though!).
Whilst the apples are cooking, spread creamed butter mixture over the slices of toast and place under grill – watch it doesn’t burn – and grill until the sugar has pretty much melted into the toast along with the butter and cinnamon. Plate up the toast, place apples on in a pleasing fashion and pour over the pan juices. You can dust with a little icing sugar if you choose.
Yumosa!
Full English, a restaurant in highbury/islington, london 