Cinnamania! Go Mad For This Super Spice

Is there anything cinnamon can’t do? From breakfast till bedtime, all year-round and especially at Christmas, cinnamon’s a star ingredient. Available as a stick or powder, this tree-bark spice has a million and one uses – we’ve picked some of the best to share with you.

Along with a long list of health claims, cinnamon’s said to be good for your noggin. A whiff of this sweet spice boosts brain activity to focus your attention and help your memory. That’s got to be worth a try, right?

Next time you’re swotting up for a test or feel like you need to be on form, make up a batch of cinnamon roasted almonds  or some salt and cinnamon kale crisps to graze on and see what happens. At the very least you’ll have a yummy snack to keep you going.

Get your day off to a tasty start with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on your morning porridge or tuck into these cinnamon and apple overnight oats.

If that all sounds a bit healthy for your liking, then fire up the frying pan as a batch of cinnamon-topped French toast or a stack of apple cinnamon pancakes will be more up your street.

Cinnamon tea is said to be a great stomach soother, but we’d rather be drinking this honey cinnamon latte even when we’re on the go!

Curries call for all kinds of amazing spices and, yep, you guessed it, cinnamon makes the cut in quite a few. It brings a rich, sweet and savoury hit to sauces, like in this oh-so-creamy courgette, chickpea and coconut curry.

It’s a good match for chicken too. Try this chicken stew with cinnamon served over pasta with plenty of bread to mop up that tasty sauce.

Here’s why we really love this spice – it does something special even to recipes you had no idea you could put it in. May we present bolognese sauce with cloves and cinnamon, a delicious twist on a classic recipe that you’re gonna wanna try.

Break out the deep fryer for these spice-overload cinnamon doughnuts with cinnamon ice cream.

And no blog on this wonder spice would be complete without the ultimate cinnamon treat – cinnamon swirls. So simple to make and darn delicious. This version, neatly baked in a circular tin, would make a cracking centrepiece for afternoon tea.

The waft of cinnamon is right up there with pine needles as one of our favourite festive smells. Come Christmas time, we’ll be popping cinnamon sticks into mulled wine and having a go at a cinnamon-decked wreath.

This year, squeeze a bit more cinnamon-love into Christmas with these mince pie filo cigars dusted with cinnamon sugar. It might not be December but we’d recommend giving them a go right now!

Inspired to do some cinnamon-themed cooking? Check the best before date on the jar first as cinnamon starts to lose its punchy taste if left too long. When a spice is this great, it’d be a sin-amon…(sorry!) not to get the best out of it. Enjoy.