Cinnamon is a spice that has been used and traced back to ancient times. Cinnamon butter is a spread containing cinnamon added for the flavor and nutritional benefits. It is commonly served as a spread alone on toasts, muffins, or buns of any kind. Many casual dining chains have adapted an old recipe from the historic American Western time period, when cinnamon butter was widely used in many dishes. This flavored butter can be added to recipes such as cookies, cake mixes, and any other meal that calls for butter and would improve with the taste of cinnamon.
Typically made using butter, cinnamon, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, cinnamon butter can be added to any side dish to spark up the flavor or can simply be spread on a biscuit to enjoy. This type of sweet flavored butter is oftentimes used on top of pancakes and waffles to add a zest to breakfast meals and sweeten up the palate. Cinnamon deserts can also be made with cinnamon butter, which when combined bring an added flavor to baked goods like chocolate chip cookies or apple pie.
Cooking with cinnamon can tone down richness in a dish as well as increase the flavor of existing spices. Many chefs use cinnamon butter when baking meats to tone down the richness and add continuity to the flavor. When cooking with cinnamon butter on the stove top, it is important to remember that butter has a low temperature burn rate, which means it does not take butter long to burn. Cooking at a low temperature is best when using any type of butter.
Health benefits can be attained from including cinnamon in one's diet, and that is one positive that is universal with the use of cinnamon regardless of the dish. Cinnamon has been linked to lowering blood pressure and LDL cholesterol — the bad cholesterol — along with regulating blood sugar. The spice is an excellent source of manganese, calcium, iron, and fiber. When cooking, baking, or adding cinnamon to any dish, a little bit goes a long way. Sprinkling or dashing the cinnamon into the recipe works wonders.
When making baked goods, cinnamon butter can be added in lieu of plain butter, but it is important to reduce the amount of sugar that the recipe calls for when adding it. Many baked goods can be enhanced by using this alternative to plain butter, such as most cookie recipes, cakes, pies, or other desserts.