Chicken – Zucchini – Feta Meatballs

Posted on August 24, 2024 | Leave a comment

I tried these last night and instantly fell in love with the distinctly mediterranean flavor. I served with tzatziki sauce and orzo would be perfect with just a little bit of olive oil, salt and dill added to it. I was sort of experimenting with the meatballs last night but gotta say these were sort of perfect as is. A greek salad or my cucumber/avocado salad on the side with some warm pita would also be perfect!

This is what I did last night.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground chicken

1 medium zucchini, I bought it pre-shredded and used it that way you can chop it up finer if you’d like in processor if you’re doing it yourself or just take about 8 oz. out of pre -shredded and throw in the processor — you don’t need to press out excess moisture — if it’s very wet just blot it out a little –mine wasn’t

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/3 cup minced yellow onion or shallots

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill– and don’t omit because this gives it that distinct mediterranean flavor

1 tsp. lemon zest

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Extra virgin Olive Oil for frying

and rice or orzo with a side of tzatziki is perfect

Greek salad also great as well as my cucumber/avocado salad

Directions:

Combine all meatball ingredients in a large bowl, using your clean hands mix thoroughly and mash all ingredients together. I rolled app. 24 smallish meatballs.

Heat Olive Oil ( a fair amount to cover bottom and a little more ) Heat up over medium heat when oil is hot place meatballs and cook until golden brown, rotating to brown all sides to the best of your ability. App. 6-7 minutes . I did it in 2 batches. After cooking meatballs I blotted excess oil out on paper towels covered with aluminum foil till ready to eat.

Prep any of your sides — and serve! Yummy!

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Potatoes , Peppers and Onions

Posted on August 23, 2024 | Leave a comment

What a perfect side dish — goes with any meats and or fish. I served it alongside humble turkey burgers and hamburgers and it was really delicious! I used whatever color peppers I had in the house and I used Yukon gold potatoes because that’s what I had on hand. Perfect with some sausage as well. Did I mention super easy???? and all on one pan in the oven.

Ingredients:

app. 2 lbs Potatoes — I happen to have on hand Yukon Gold Potatoes but Russet Potatoes work well as well– any potatoes will work out — cut potatoes into app. 1″ chunks

1 medium yellow onion– cut into 1″ chunks

2 peppers — any color you like — I had orange and yellow on hand– cut into 1 ” chunks

1/4 cup olive oil

Kosher Salt — app. 2 teaspoons

Freshly Ground Black Pepper– app. 1 teaspoon

Garlic Powder — 1 teaspoon — if you prefer fresh garlic — use 2 garlic cloves minced

Directions:

*important to cut chunks of vegetables fairly uniformly so they cook the same

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In a large bowl toss potatoes, onion and peppers with oil, salt , pepper and garlic

Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet — I spray my baking sheet with cooking spray for an easy cleanup –spread out so peppers onions and potatoes have room to cook — don’t overcrowd as they will just steam and not slow roast

Roast for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, I stirred halfway through cooking.

That’s it — super easy and super delicious.

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Posted in Potatoes, potatoes, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged sheet pan potatoes with peppers and onions

Watermelon Cucumber Salad–Perfect Summer Salad

Posted on August 20, 2024 | Leave a comment

This is a most delicious salad and a departure from the usual fare of lettuces etc. Sweet and Savory and very refreshing . Simple to pull together and easy to make. Of course you can substitute or add other items if you’d like such as olives, arugula , basil etc. This is how I did it and we all totally enjoyed it!!! The salad is a rather loose recipe and can be adapted very easily to other ingredients and your own particular tastes.

It really is the perfect Summer Salad. The saltiness of the feta and the sweetness of the watermelon make for a perfect summer salad.

Ingredients:

1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1″cubes or melon balls.

1 shallot finely chopped

1 chunk of Feta Cheese– I like to cut my feta cubed but crumbled could work as well. Feta is usually a greek style cheese made with sheep’s milk and goat’s milk. I prefer a block even though I know crumbled is more convenient. The block is usually sold in a brine and that will keep the feta moist and crumbles tend to be dryer. They all taste good though so buy what you prefer. I often buy Bulgarian Feta which is rather firm and cuts and crumbles easily. Look for it. Also French Feta sometimes–check out the assortment in the cheese section of your market. And of course Greek Feta is probably the most preferred. Salty and tangy the way feta should be. Cut or Crumble your choice.

4 Tbsp. Torn Fresh Mint — more for garnish –I love Mint but some people really don’t you can substitute Basil or nothing if you’d lke

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

3 persian cucumbers — I buy the small ones and cut into small cubes

1/4 red onion sliced thinly

1/3 cup Pistachio Nuts — I chop them gently — obviously no shells –you can omit this all together if you don’t like them for a nut free salad

Vinaigrette:

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

3 small cloves Garlic–finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 Teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

In a small bowl whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Directions:

Combine the watermelon,1 finely chopped shallot, and mint in a large bowl with the 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil . Season with Salt and Pepper to taste and toss to combine. Transfer to fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Remove from fridge and add the cubed feta, cucumbers, red onion slices and pistachios. Toss to combine. I transferred to a serving platter , drizzled with the vinaigrette and served with extra pistachios and extra mint.

You’ll want to use a slotted spoon for serving.

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Posted in Salad, salad, salad dressing, side dish, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged Summer Salad, watermelon and cucumber salad, watermelon and cucumber salad with feta cheese, watermelon salad

Summer Crumble — Peach and Blueberries

Posted on August 18, 2024 | Leave a comment

A crumble or a crisp whatever you call it there is no reason not to make this simple delicious dessert. In the summer you have so very many seasonal fruits to choose from and all sorts of delicious combinations. I used peaches and blueberries today because the peaches are amazingly beautiful and I had an abundance of blueberries. Any stone fruit, berries, or pitted cherries will work. In the Fall I make this with apples and pears which is Joel’s favorite of all time. The fruit comes out soft and tender and the crumbly crunchy cap is ever so crisp. Delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I had a lot of blueberries in the house but the blueberries do take over so all peach would be equally delicious as well .

I used an 8×11 pyrex but any baking dish around that size will work out just fine.

You’ll need a food processor to do the crisp topping this way. You must use cold butter straight out of fridge. I also added a little bit of chopped nuts but this is totally optional.

Plums and Nectarines work just as well. I also sprinkled a dash of cinnamon on the top (just a touch) right before baking , this is also totally optional.

Ingredients:

Fruit Mixture:

app. 8 cups sliced stone fruit, blueberries or pitted cherries I used peaches which I pitted, peeled and sliced and 1 container of blueberries (6 oz.) Use any combo you like.

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

1 tsp. finely grated orange zest ( almost a whole orange)

2 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed orange juice from zested orange

pinch of kosher salt

In a large bowl toss fruit, sugar, cornstarch, salt, zest and juice together with a spoon. Set aside. I also sprayed baking dish with Bakers Aid cooking spray which is great stuff.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crumble Topping:

Ingredients:

3/4 + 1/4 cup of old-fashioned oats separated. 3/4 cup will be used at beginning and 1/4 cup at end.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup light brown sugar ( firmly packed)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick chilled unsalted butter , straight out of fridge and this is important here. Butter should be diced into small pieces. Cut stick in half then cut into small uniform pieces.

Directions for crumble topping:

In the bowl of food processor with blade , pulse oats, flour, light brown sugar, salt together. Then through the top tube drop in diced cold butter and pulse until no dry spots remain, it takes a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add in 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats with your fingers.

Transfer fruit mixture to prepared baking dish, scatter crumble topping over the mixture. I added some chopped nuts and a little cinnamon at this point. Place baking dish on a baking sheet ( sprayed with cooking spray as well) and bake at 375 degrees for at least 50 minutes, check on it. You don’t want to pull it out too soon because you want the crumble to brown perfectly and the fruit will not thicken. You’ll know it’s ready by the color of the crumble topping.

Allow to cool for an hour.

last night I put together whole recipe and left in the fridge overnight. Next day a few hours before dinner I removed from fridge and baked it to have as dessert . Served in bowls with ice cream while it was still warm.

You can heat up before eating at 250 degrees covered for about a 1/2 hour should be enough.

You can freeze this as well. Take out the night before you’ll want it and let it defrost in the refrigerator, the next day take it out and let it come to room temperature before re-heating. I freeze it often and it works out quite well.

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Posted in Baked Goods, dessert, fruit, fruit cobblers

Tagged Peach and Blueberry Crumble., Summer Crumble, Summer Fruit Crisp

Summer Peach Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Posted on August 17, 2024 | 1 comment

It’s the end of the Summer and the Palisade Peaches are still here in Colorado along with the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes. It’s a no-brainer salad going on here made with the freshest of ingredients. Fresh Mozzarella is readily available almost everywhere now and grab some fresh basil while you’re at it. This salad worked out well with a few easy ingredients and it packed some super delicious flavor. Hurry to your farmers market or produce store to grab some of these beauties before they’re gone .

*this recipe should serve 2- 4 but can easily be doubled for more

Ingredients:

1 pint of cherry tomatoes ( I grabbed some heirloom cherry tomatoes)or any tomatoes you’d like the local tomatoes are beautiful this time of year

1 large peach or 2 small (Palisade Peaches here in Colorado have been amazing)

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cut up in cubes or however you’d like to cut it up

1 shallot

some fresh basil–throw in about 8 pieces and add more or less depending on your own particular taste

1 1/2 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or any flaky salt you like –this is approximate and use as little or as much salt as you like, tomatoes can endure a lot of salt

app. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Rinse off tomatoes and cut in 1/2. Clean and cut the peach in half, remove the pit and cut into bite size pieces. Add tomatoes and peaches to a platter or a bowl. Cut up the mozzarella and add to bowl.

Peel and slice the shallots into thin slivers or rings whichever you prefer. Scatter over tomatoes, add the basil, drizzle the olive oil, salt and pepper and stir gently.

Presentation is beautiful on a platter as well. Whatever way you do it the taste is phenomenal.

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Posted in Salad, salad, side dish, sides, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged peach salad, salad with fresh peaches, Summer Salad

Devil’s Chicken on the Grill

Posted on August 15, 2024 | 1 comment

chicken flattened out right before cooking

look at the color of the skin on this chicken, no black!!! just golden and brown

marinade for chicken

absolutely love spatchcocked chicken. Simply delicious made in the oven and on stove top (see recipe for Spatchcocking the Chicken) . In any event I hadn’t ever made it on the grill and I wanted to . It came out just perfect, just wish I had better photos. We started eating it before I could photograph so I kind of assembled it and snapped. Next time I will take better photos and add them because this will be a staple in our house.

As you know we love spicy food but you don’t need to use crushed red pepper you can just season with salt , pepper and paprika, garlic powder whatever you’d like . This is how I did it and for those of you who do like it a little spicy this was perfect. It wasn’t really all that spicy at all just a hint of kick.

You will ask your neighborhood butcher to please remove the backbone of your chicken unless you’re good with the kitchen shears and can take it out by yourself. I prefer having butcher do it . (see photo) Chicken will still be in one piece or you can have them cut it into two pieces, it doesn’t really matter which way. I kept it as one whole chicken.

Ingredients couldn’t be simpler, I’m sure you have all ingredients but the chicken.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic–chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves ( app. 10 sprigs) removed from sprigs and chopped or dry thyme use app. 1/3 of the fresh amount — this is a very loose recipe so a little more or less won’t hurt but eyeball it.

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice ( 1 nice size lemon)

2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper ( use as little or as much as you’d like I used 1 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 whole chicken with back-bone removed and flattened as much as possible, if you’d like you can have chicken cut into 2 halves.

Directions:

In a small bowl , add chopped garlic, chopped thyme along with lemon juice, oil, salt, red and black pepper. Whisk all ingredients together. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

Put chicken on a baking tray and cover with marinade , I used a pastry brush to get marinade all over the chicken. Let chicken sit in marinade at least an hour and up to 24 hours.

Heat the grill ( spray grill first with cooking spray or oil the grates).

I turned heat on grill up all the way , once grill got very hot I turned it down to medium-low and placed the chicken on grill skin-side down, closed the cover and cooked it low and slow for about 22 minutes. You can check on chicken by lifting up with tongs , be sure to check up on it often to make sure you have no flare-ups with your grill. Flip chicken over and cook for another 20-25 minutes. You can cut into chicken to make sure it’s done. This method worked perfectly for me , as all grills are different you will have to see how long it will cook on yours. I did it 22 minutes per side and it seemed to work out perfectly. Depending on your grill and the size of your chicken you may need more time or a little less.

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Posted in chicken

Tagged chicken on the grill, devils chicken, Spatchcocking the Chicken

Roasted Salmon with Corn and Tomatoes

Posted on August 13, 2024 | Leave a comment

Sometimes you just need to lighten up the meal and I find Salmon always does the trick . It is filling enough without that full feeling when you’re done eating . This Salmon dish is light but satisfying in every way. This is what I did and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. This will become your new favorite way to eat salmon.

I happen to love Salmon, I find it’s nutritious , tasty and so very versatile. Yesterday I posted one of my favorite air fryer recipes for salmon . There are countless ways to cook and serve salmon, and they’re all delicious but I really love one pan meals so you can cook in one pan along with vegetables. The combination of flavors in this recipe is amazing. The sweetness of the corn and yummy mouth bursting cherry tomatoes is perfection!

*this recipe should serve 4 nicely–easy to cut in 1/2 for 2

Ingredients:

I asked for 6 oz. fillets– just make sure they are the same size and I like from the middle of the salmon not the end–you will need 4 for 4 people. One fillet for each person

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1 small container of cherry or grapes in any coloration you’d like-halved

2 cups frozen or fresh whole kernel corn

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. lime zest

1 Tbsp. Lime juice

1 tsp. honey

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion — I used a shallot this time because I didn’t have a red onion in the house or you can skip all together if you don’t like red onion — last night I added it and adds a nice little crunch and another layer of flavor

*if you love it snip some fresh cilantro in there at the end –while I love cilantro I don’t always have it to add and have to say equally as delicious

*also makes for delicious leftovers

Directions:

Pick up Salmon from your local fish store or Whole foods type of market

I rinse the salmon off and pat dry with paper towels. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 15×10 baking dish with aluminum foil or spray with your favorite cooking spray and I prefer to just spray and it’s fine but if no cooking spray then use aluminum foil. Place fish in prepared pan. Sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp. kosher salt over salmon and about 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper–you will have to eyeball it but the salmon needs salt and pepper it’s a question of how much. Lightly sprinkle.

In a medium sized bowl combine tomatoes, onion/shallot, corn, oil , chili powder, cumin and a little more salt and pepper ( app. 1/4 -1/2 tsp. more salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper) Toss to coat. Spread tomato mixture around the fish in the baking pan. Roast uncovered, app. 15-18 minutes or until fish flakes easily and is cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your fish so you should check on it after 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small bowl , stir together lime zest, lime juice, and honey

When fish is done to your liking remove fish to a platter. Brush fish with honey mixture. Add cilantro to tomatoes in pan, stirring gently to combine all ingredients. Top fish with tomato mixture and if you’d like a little more cilantro this would be a good time to add it.

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Posted in salmon, Sheet Pan Meals

Tagged Salmon, sheet pan salmon salmon with corn and tomatoes

Tomato Time Pasta– perfect Summer Pasta made with fresh tomatoes–Meatless

Posted on August 12, 2024 | Leave a comment

Nothing but beautiful tomatoes out there begging to be eaten in a million different ways. Perfect for a “Meatless Monday” dish or any night of the week . There are tons of local tomatoes out there now. At any local farmers market you can pick up pints of these beautiful babies. This is a lovely light pasta.

I had bought 2 pints of those beautiful little cherry tomatoes and right now there are those gorgeous yellow sunburst tomatoes also available. I wasn’t sure what I would do with them. They varied in size so I knew if I made a sauce some were getting cut and some would stay whole. Nothing ever sounds better than a plate of pasta to me, nothing. These beautiful tomatoes are only out for such a limited time you have to get them while the getting is good. Some of the tomatoes were super small and I left them whole while I halved the larger ones. There are so many variations of this sauce and feel free to improvise. We love it this way. So simple and so delicious.

Follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti , any kind of long spaghetti is good for this — sometimes I use bucatini type and sometimes I use thin type long spaghetti– use whatever you’d like

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced.

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper* we like it spicy so if you don’t want it that spicy cut to 1/4, I actually used 1 whole teaspoon and it packed a lot of kick.

2 pints of cherry tomatoes or little plum tomatoes or you can use about 3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes of any type. I cut the larger tomatoes in 1/2 and I left the little ones whole.

app. 20 leaves of fresh basil, I just cut them up into small slivers–this is totally optional if your kids don’t like green stuff– but it looks pretty

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste –I used app. 1 teaspoon on tomatoes and added towards the end as needed

freshly grated parmesan at your discretion

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions on box for al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water in the event you may need a little more liquid in your sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to cooking water for pasta. The Italians like to say that their pasta water should be like sea water good and salty. After finished cooking pasta — reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside before you drain pasta.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic, cook until garlic is golden about 2 minutes. Be careful you don’t want to burn this garlic. Add the crushed red pepper now and the tomatoes, and cook over medium heat. I also added some kosher salt (about 1/2 teaspoon to start, you can always add more) and a little freshly ground black pepper. Stir for a while to make sure garlic doesn’t burn and tomatoes start to burst and deflate about 5 minutes and if you think you need a little more olive oil add it now . I let the tomatoes simmer in the pan for about 15 minutes to 1/2 hour for the best consistency. I smashed down stubborn little tomatoes at the end with the back of a wooden spoon or a masher if you have one. A very low simmer at the end. Taste for Salt and Pepper. The longer the tomatoes sit in the oil and cook down on a low simmer the better the sauce will be so if you have a little time let it sit.

Once the spaghetti is cooked and you’ve drained it ( remember to reserve a cup of pasta water). Add it to the pan with tomatoes and over medium-high heat toss the pasta with the tomatoes well. Add the basil . I let everyone add their own cheese at the table.

Remove the pan from the heat and plate it up.

Yum! and even more delicious the next day.

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Posted in pasta, Sauce, tomatoes, vegetables, vegetarian

Tagged dinner, food, fresh tomato sauce, light pasta, Pasta, recipe, recipes, spaghetti, tomato sauce, Tomatoes, vegetables, Vegetarian Pasta

S’Mores Baked in the Oven

Posted on August 9, 2024 | Leave a comment

Oh Wow!!! what could be better??? truly easy and very little fuss perfect with the kids and perfect for the adults. Very rich and gooey. Whole thing takes about 40 minutes from start to finish and you can re-heat the sliced bars in the microwave for about 30 seconds if you have some left-over. It’s great for a large group and I would say about 12-15 servings here. Let’s hold on to the last few weeks of summer with this delicious dessert.

For a very traditional s’mores taste eat immediately, I think they tasted a little better after they cooled down for a bit. Whichever way you prefer them –this is a great recipe for a crowd. You can prepare first and then pop in the oven while you are having dinner. Enjoy!

*also I was able to obtain these amazing square marshmallows in the supermarket, if you see them –grab them otherwise just regular old marshmallows will do the trick.

Ingredients:

Crust:

18 graham crackers

1/4 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter-melted

*parchment paper — I think you’ll want to work with it for this recipe–it can get difficult once they harden to get them out of pan. Clean up was a snap with it.

Topping:

3 extra-large Hershey Bars (or 7 regular-size ones)

24 jumbo marshmallows–look for the large square ones

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 Pyrex type baking pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper , allow an extra couple of inches of paper to hang over the edge.

In the food processor bowl, pulse the graham crackers until they are finely ground. Transfer the crumbs to a medium-sized bowl.

Add the sugar and salt to the graham crackers and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are moistened. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer.

Bake the crust for about 10 minutes or until the edges turn lightly golden. Let the crust cool off completely before adding chocolate. I probably let it sit off heat for about 1/2 hour.

Arrange the chocolate bars (see picture) evenly on the top of cooled crust, I had to remove 1 row of chocolate to fit it in pan and left a little uncovered crumbs around edges. Arrange the marshmallows on top of the chocolate, leaving a little space between each one (see photos) Marshmallows will expand slightly.

Bake until the chocolate is soft and beginning to melt, and the marshmallows are evenly toasted on top. Probably about 10-15 minutes depending on your oven.

I couldn’t wait to eat them but I would suggest letting them cool off for a little bit, cutting was easier when it cooled down ( after 15-20 minutes) I was able to cleanly cut slices. It’s more like campfire s’mores when you eat them hot out of the oven and certainly messier.

You can re-heat the sliced bars in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. If you are keeping them , cut them and store individual slices.

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Posted in Baked Goods, dessert

Tagged chocolate and marshmallows, s'mores, s'mores in the oven

Summer Crumble — Peach and Blueberries

Posted on August 6, 2024 | 2 comments

I used an 8×11 pyrex but any baking dish around that size will work out just fine.

You’ll need a food processor to do the crisp topping this way. You must use cold butter straight out of fridge. I also added a little bit of chopped nuts but this is totally optional.

Plums and Nectarines work just as well. I also sprinkled a dash of cinnamon on the top (just a touch) right before baking , this is also totally optional.