I’m often asked how I stop myself from devouring every last crumb of all the recipes I make throughout my work day. The truth is that sometimes I can resist and sometimes I can’t. I do my best to roll with the flow on this and I try not get too tangled in the do’s & do not’s of what I should and shouldn’t be nibbling on. Heck.. everyone has good days and bad days and, honestly, sometimes the cookies, etc. are just too damn good.
My not-so-secret to success is to start everyday with a high protein breakfast that will stick with me throughout my baking morning and get me to lunchtime without feeling the least bit peckish. This kind of start is a huge help in staving off those snacking impulses. More mornings than not, my breakfast bowl of goodness is warm oatmeal. I cook up a big batch of unsweetened old fashioned oats (I use Quaker) on Sunday afternoon and stow it in the frig where it’s at the ready for an easy go-to breakfast. My routine is uncomplicated: I heat a hefty scoopful with a good splash of milk until it’s piping hot and creamy then I stir in whatever I have on hand. Sometimes, it’s a handful of blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup and other times it’s only a good dusting of brown sugar. But there are mornings (think bitter-cold, stormy New England January mornings) that call for something a bit more special to help me jump-start a busy day. For those days, I crank up the oven and whip up some easy-peasy cinnamon-sugar tortilla crisps (they come together in the time it takes to heat the oven) and bust out the Nutella jar and ripe bananas to make an oatmeal breakfast bowl that would put a smile on even ol’ Scrooge himself. You can follow my lead and skip the spoon altogether and use the sweet and crispy tortilla triangles as scoopers but they also make a great snack or after school treat so you might want to make some extras. BTW The cinnamon sugar mixture makes more than you need for this little recipe. Stow the leftovers in the pantry – I keep mine in an empty cinnamon spice jar with a shaker lid, You’ll find plenty of ways to use the extras.
Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps
Makes 16 Crisps.
3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) granulated sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
2 (8-inch) flour tortillas
5 tsp. butter, softened (salted or unsalted)
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line one cookie sheet with parchment or nonstick liner.
2. Put the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir until well blended.
3. Lay the tortillas on a cutting board so they don’t overlap. Using a small offset spatula, spread the butter evenly over the top side of the tortillas. Generously sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar evenly over the tortillas. Cover the remaining cinnamon-sugar and stow in the pantry for the next time.
4. Cut each tortilla in half then cut each half into 4 triangles. Using your hands or a metal spatula, arrange the triangles close together but not overlapping on the prepared cookie sheet.
5. Bake until the triangles are deep golden brown around the edges and bubbly on top, 7 to 10 minutes. Move the sheet to a rack and cool for 5 minutes or until cool enough to eat. Stow any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.