Canarian Recipes: Torrijas De Carnaval
Carnival torrijas (French Toast) are a festive classic: bread, milk, cinnamon. They are especially popular during Holy Week and Lent.
Carnival Torrijas (Traditional Recipe)
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf of day-old bread (preferably for torrijas or baguette)
- 1 litre of milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Peel of 1 lemon (without the white part)
- 2-3 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 eggs
- Olive oil or sunflower oil (for frying)
- Sugar and cinnamon powder for coating
Method
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Heat the milk with the cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and sugar. Once it begins to boil, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
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Cut the bread into slices about 2-3 cm thick. Thicker slices retain moisture better when cooked.
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Dunk the slices into the warm milk, leaving them for a few seconds on each side to soak well without falling apart.
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Beat the eggs and carefully coat each slice in the mixture.
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Heat sufficient oil and fry the torrijas until golden brown on both sides. Remove them to a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
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Mix sugar with cinnamon powder and roll the still-warm torrijas in this mixture. And they’re ready to serve!
Variations
If you prefer them juicier, soak them a little longer in the milk.
You can add a splash of anise or sweet wine to the milk for a festive twist.
They are also delightful drizzled with honey instead of sugar.
They taste even better the next day (if they last that long).