Microwave Cinnamon Crisps

If you conduct a poll among Indian mothers at this time of the year for the most frequently heard phrases at home, I bet these will be among the top 5.

Number 1 - I am hungry, give me something to eat - NOW!!!.
Number 2 - Can I watch TV for some(more)time...Ple..asee?
Number 3 - You have watched too much TV, switch it off - THIS MINUTE!!(This from Mom of course!)
Number 4 - Lower the volume!!!!(Mom again)
Number 5 - I am soooo...bored!!(kids of course, ONE long minute after the TV is switched off)

Other Mom phrases would be 'Please stop yelling and fighting with each other'', "You are both going into one bathroom each for the next 15 minutes''(this never works I tell u!) "I wish school never closed even on Sundays''.  Other kid phrases "AMMA...he changed the channel...''(followed by screaming lungs out), "You are a very bad Amma, wait till Appa comes home'', ''Let me tell your Mom what you are doing to me (my daughter threatening me if I don't give in).

Well... what do you do when you have to face this on a daily basis for 60 plus days? Let me tell you what I do. I chant the Alcoholics Anonymous prayer - " God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference'' And sigh...life goes on...Well, one of the things I certainly can change is a hungry tummy to a  full one...temporarily at least. One of my favorite quick snacks for times like this - Cinnamon Crisps. Nothing really fancy, but certainly tasty and quick. Butter, sugar and cinnamon applied on bread slices and microwaved to get crispy, buttery cinnamon flavored bites. If you do not like cinnamon, try cardamom. Or even a savory version sans the sugar and suitable spices...

  This is again from Tarla Dalal's "Microwave Snacks And Desserts'.
  This is done on 'microwave' mode.

   Ingredients:
   Bread slices - 4 ( I have used whole wheat)
   Unsalted Butter, soft - 1 tablespoon
   Powdered sugar -1 tablespoon
   Cinnamon powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Procedure:  Combine the butter, sugar and the cinnamon. Apply evenly on both sides of the bread slices. Stack the slices and cut them into 4 vertical strips giving you a total of 16 strips. Cut as evenly as possible for even cooking.

Place them on a microwave safe plate along the circumference of the plate. Do not keep any in the middle as they will get done even before the others around the circumference, and you will end up with charred ones. I could keep 5 strips at a time. You could place more if the plate is big enough or if placing directly on the turntable. Microwave on HIGH for 2 to 2.30 minutes, my microwave sets at 800 watts. The strips will turn light brown in the middle( looks brown as its whole wheat bread, if you use white bread it would look golden probably). You could turn off at this point.  If you microwave for much longer, it will turn a very dark brown, burning them.
The strips will have hardened and will continue to crisp up as they cool. Remove from the plate, cool completely and store in an airtight container.  I like to eat these fresh out of the oven..I don not normally like cinnamon in sweet dishes, this is one of the exceptions..

Please note: As with most microwave cooking, the time will vary depending on the power of your microwave, voltage etc. You may have to experiment for a couple of batches to figure out what works best. The cooking time will be more if you place more strips on a larger plate.

Variations: You could use cardamom in place of the cinnamon. For a savory version, skip the sugar, add a little salt, mixed Italian herbs and chilli flakes. Microwave the strips just plain for croutons?? Try and let me know..

 And do tell me how are you keeping your kids out of your hair kids busy this summer?