This “sweet” is traditionally eaten during Lent, the 40-day period before Easter. It is believed that torrijas originated in Andalucian convents during the XV century as a way to use up stale bread. Although today it is associated with the cuisine of Madrid, it is a popular breakfast food all over. The British might call torrijas bread pudding, while the Americans would probably see it as a Spanish variation of “French Toast.”
Although torrijas are a popular breakfast food, they can be eaten any time of the day. There are many variations of this treat – some soften the bread by soaking it in wine, while other variations use milk or water and honey. In Spain, the typical bread would be a French-style baguette, but today pan de molde or white bread, such as Wonder bread can be used. Most variations serve it with sugar and cinnamon.
Ingredients
- 4-6 Slices of Stale White Bread*
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1 Egg
- Vegetable Oil for frying, such as Canola or Corn Oil, NOT olive oil
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- Sugar and Cinnamon
- Honey
Serves Four.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
* TIP: If you do not have stale bread on hand, lightly toast the sliced bread so that it dries out enough to soak up the milk and not turn to mush.
