Recently I posted a shot of Torrejas on Facebook. Its a Spanish / Mexican / Cuban dessert and one of the tastiest things I have ever eaten.
I had a shot at making it today, with a bit of South West spin – using Saffron Cake. Looking online there are hundreds of ways to make Torrejas, but being a sweet tooth I opted for the least savory method. Some authentic sounding recipes calls for Piloncillo- a Mexican unrefined sugar, so I used Muscovado.
150 grams Dark Muscovado Sugar
200 ml water
1 vanilla pod
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 clove
Add all of the above into a medium pan and simmer uncovered over a low heat for 20 min, then allow to cool.
2 free range eggs
100 ml milk
8 slices of stale bread (or Saffron Cake)
Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Briefly soak the bread in the eggy mix to coat each side, then fry until golden brown in a non stick pan with a knob of butter.
Place the eggy bread flat on a tray and cover with the spicy syrup, and leave to soak until you can wait no longer.