Think Spice...Think Cinnamon!!!

What do I think of when I think of cinnamon? I think of apples. I think of pumpkin. I think of cinnamon rolls. I even think of Indian food.

What do you think of when you think of cinnamon? Emiline is thinking Cinnamon-Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Thins. Melisser is thinking Cinnamon Glaze for her Pumpkin Doughnuts. Chelsea is also thinking Cinnamon Rolls.

Last night, I was reading (yes, reading) through a cookbook. It is one that has been sitting on my shelf for a while by a well known criolla chef here in Lima. I have glanced through it and maybe even made a recipe or two. But, I have been inspired by Deborah from Taste and Tell to attempt several recipes from the same cookbook, in the same month. So, I was making my list, turning down corners, and salivating at the thought of delicious dishes to be made; things like pastel de choclo, papas con mani, and picarones.

One of the recipes caught my eye – the manjar. What some call cajeta or dulce de leche, Peruvians call manjar blanco. Manjar is the sweet, thick cream that can be spread over breads, cookies and cakes. But this particular manjar was based on garbanzo beans and spiced with cinnamon. I do not normally think of garbanzo beans when I think of cinnamon, but I was certainly curious!

Spices like cinnamon are an integral part of a variety of food. I use cinnamon in both savory and sweet dishes as well as part of my vitamin regime. After the need arose to learn about insulin resistance and how to modify my diet accordingly, I learned something very important about cinnamon, it can be used to aid in controlling blood sugar. When someone becomes insulin resistant, their body does not know when to stop producing insulin after sugar is introduced into the blood stream. Cinnamon helps to lower the blood sugar and therefore indirectly halts the production of insulin. This spice has become an important part of my daily life!

Cinnamon is December’s spice of the month on Sunita’s World. I am sharing my recipe of Manjar de Garbanzos, or Sweet Creamed Garbanzo Beans, in honor of this special and important spice.

Manjar de Garbanzos

1 pound of dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight, peeled
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of evaporated milk
Ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds

In a pot, bring garbanzo beans and cinnamon stick to a boil until softened. Discard cinnamon stick and puree beans with some of the water used to cook them (about 1 cup). Place the garbanzo puree in a pot with sugar. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.


Add milk and cook about 20 more minutes, stirring constantly, until the bottom of the pot can be seen when stirring. Garnish with ground cinnamon and sesame seeds when served. Makes 6 portions. Adapted from Nuestros Grandes Chefs – Teresa Izquierdo

Tip: After soaking and before cooking the garbanzo beans, place them in a clean dishtowel and rub hard, this will break open the outer layer of the garbanzo. This seems time consuming but will truly produce a better flavor.