I Beg You to Dip Your Clementine in Cinnamon Sugar
I cook food well, but I eat it badly. I prefer snacking, also known as “luxury grazing”. I like to lay out lots of little treats with different flavors and textures to create a great variety of what my friend Kathy calls “mouth experiences”. This little fruity snack is my favorite new treat.
I did a lot of luxurious grazing last night. I started with chips , moved on to marinated chicken with feta and capers (for work), made a small cheese plate with pickles , ate a donut, cooked and ate two slices of toast (one with garlic and one with cinnamon sugar ), then rounded out the evening by inhaling too many Cuties brand clementines. As I ate the fruit, my gaze lingered on the cinnamon sugar I used to make toast.
“Do I need?” I thought.
I did so and it was the right choice. Dipping a piece of clementine (or any tart and sweet citrus fruit) in cinnamon sugar is something everyone should do. Tastes like candy, like Christmas, like all the good things about winter and none of the bad ones. It’s bright and juicy, sweet and tangy, warm and inviting—it’s a nice, soothing fruity snack that I can’t stop eating. (It’s Dusting , Fruit Edition.)
I prefer to peel the fruit, remove the most aggressive white stringy bits, and dip each segment in a heap of cinnamon sugar using the Jennifer Garner ratio of 3 tablespoons granulated sugar to 2 teaspoons cinnamon. You can also peel and slice the clementines with a knife (to remove even more of the core) or even cut them into small pieces and arrange the slices artfully on a plate before sprinkling the sweet and heady concoction over the citrus fruits. I don’t really care how you do it, just put these little gems in your mouth immediately; they really are the best winter has to offer.