Torrijas Castellanas Recipes

TORRIJAS: SPANISH STYLE FRENCH TOAST WITH CINNAMON AND HONEY

Steps:

• Bring the milk, ½ cup of sugar, lemon and orange peel, and spices (cardamom seeds and star anise) to a slow simmer.
• Cut the bread in thick slices.
• When the milk mixture has been simmering for about 15 minutes, turn off the heat and soak the slices of bread in this mixture. Be careful not to completely wet them to the point that they will break apart, but try to get them to absorb as much milk as possible.
• Let the slices of wet bread rest and cool (some liquid may be lost).
• Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and dip the bread slices in the egg mixture. In the meantime, heat up about ½ an inch of the olive oil in a deep, heavy pan on medium-high heat.
• Fry the slices two by two, flipping them halfway so that both sides are nice and crisp.
• Let the torrijas rest on paper towels to absorb excess oil. In another bowl mix the remaining sugar (1/2 cup) with the cinnamon.
• Cover the slices in the cinnamon sugar mixture and reserve.
• Finally, make the syrup. Take the remaining cinnamon and sugar from coating the torrijas and add it to a medium-sized pot. Add a bit more sugar to completely cover the bottom of the pot if necessary.
• Add 2 cups of warm water to the sugar and bring it to a boil.
• Add the honey (you can add more or less depending on preference).
• Allow the syrup to simmer for about 30 minutes until it reduces to a syrup-like consistency. It won't be a very thick syrup, but it shouldn't be too watery.
• Take the syrup off of the heat and after about 15 minutes spoon it over the French toast. The torrijas should be completely soaked in syrup. Allow them to completely cool before putting them into the refrigerator.
• Refrigerate the torrijas for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
• Enjoy within two or three days for best quality! (I doubt they'll last that long anyway!)

SPANISH TORRIJAS RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Cut the bread in slices Cut the bread in slices of around one inch or 2.5 centimeters. I recommended using bread from the previous day or even bread that is two or three days old. If the bread is hard, it can soak up more milk. 2. Cut off a few small pieces of fresh lemon and orange peel. 3. Let the bread soak in milkMix the milk with the cinnamon stick and the orange & lemon peel. Afterward soak the slices of bread in the milk and let it rest for around four hours. The longer you soak the bread in the milk the juicier the Torrijas will get. 4. Dip the bread in the eggAfter four hours, take the pieces of bread out of the milk and let them drain for a few minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. In the next step dip the bread slices with both sides one by one in the egg. 5. Deep fry the soaked bread slicesHeat up around 1 inch of olive oil in a pan and carefully transfer the soaked bread slices into the oil. I recommend using a spatula and a fork as the bread will be very soft and can break easily. Fry the slices for around two to three minutes on each side until they are brown. 6. Put the bread on a paper towelOnce the bread is done take it out and put it for a few minutes on a paper towel. 7. Dunk the bread in a sugar & cinnamon mixture Mix sugar and cinnamon on a deep plate and dunk the bread slices into it. 8. Enjoy your home-made Spanish Torrijas!

TORRIJAS CASTELLANAS

Steps:

• In a wide shallow bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cream, and salt.
• Combine the cinnamon and sugar on a plate.
• Soak a piece or two of bread in the egg mixture (do not crowd) while you put the butter and oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
• Turn the bread in the egg mixture so it soaks well; when the butter melts and its foam subsides, add the soaked bread, again without crowding (will probably have to cook bread in batches).
• Brown the bread nicely on both sides, for a total of 6-10 minutes, then transfer each piece in turn to the cinnamon sugar mixture; turn to coat both sides evenly and serve hot.

TORRIJAS WITH SHERRY

Steps:

• In a wide, shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the cream, milk, golden caster sugar and sherry. Cut each slice of bread in two and dip them into the egg mix, turning to make sure they get a good coating on either side. Soak bread in egg mixture for 10 mins to absorb the liquid (carefully turn them over from time to time and make sure they don't get too soggy).
• Heat 1½ tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the bread for about 3 mins on each side until dark golden and crisp on the edge. Keep the slices warm in a low oven as you cook the rest.
• Divide the torrijas between plates and dust with the icing sugar. Serve with crème fraîche or Greek yogurt on the side.