BajaNomad - Mexican Bread Pudding

Mexican Bread Pudding

tigerdog - 3-27-2009 at 12:49 AM

It's been slow in here (!) so here's another recipe I think you might like. Have you ever had Mexican bread pudding? If not, you should give this a try. It's not like the custardy type you find in the old country, so even if you don't like bread pudding you might like this.

CAPIROTADA (Bread Pudding):

INGREDIENTS:

4 large, stale bolillo rolls (or 1 medium loaf of day-old French bread), torn into chunks (not too big)
4 Tbsp butter
4 1/2 cups water
3 small pilonchillo*, about 12 oz. total (or 1 1/2 Cups dark brown sugar)
3 sticks of cinnamon
4 cloves
4 peppercorns
3 star anise (or 1 teaspoon anise seeds)
1 cup queso fresco, grated or crumbled
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds
2/3 cup raisins, soaked in warm water to soften
2 or 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped

* Piloncillos are those cone shaped pieces of raw cane sugar which can be found in any Mexican market. They come in a small size (about 4-ounces) and a large size (about 9 ounces).

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease (or butter) a medium-size casserole dish.

Place bread chunks on a baking sheet. Melt butter in a small pan and drizzle over bread chunks. Toast bread in oven until golden; remove and set aside to cool.

Bring water to a boil. Add piloncillo (or brown sugar), cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and anise and boil gently until sugar is dissolved and a dark syrup has formed, about 15 minutes. Remove spices.

In the prepared baking dish, place a layer of bread chunks). Cover with a layer of the apple slices. Sprinkle some of the raisins, nuts, and grated cheese over the top. Repeat layers until all the ingredients (except the syrup) are used.

Pour the syrup over the top of the layers. Bake on center rack at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes; remove from oven. Sprinkle with a little more cheese if you like. NOTE: If you put a pan with some water in it on the rack beneath the pudding, the pudding will be very moist, but this is not really necessary.

Cool slightly, then spoon onto plates. Or refrigerate to serve the next day.

As before, a picture and some further information on my blog, including some pretty interesting history if you're into that or want to know why cheese is included in a recipe for bread pudding.

http://rptides.blogspot.com

Buen provecho, and happy Lent!

Paula - 3-27-2009 at 11:41 AM

I read the rest of the story. It seems a bit morbid to me, but it sounds like a great recipe none the less.

Bread Pudding!

Pompano - 3-27-2009 at 12:24 PM

Thanks for that recipe. Although it was the stuff of nightmares for me as a child.

When I was a tadpole and had set the barn on fire or pulled some other childhood prank, my mother would stop me dead in my tracks with threats of having to eat my bread pudding. Why I did not like it then, I'll never know, but I love it now.

tigerdog - 3-27-2009 at 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pompano
Thanks for that recipe. Although it was the stuff of nightmares for me as a child.

When I was a tadpole and had set the barn on fire or pulled some other childhood prank, my mother would stop me dead in my tracks with threats of having to eat my bread pudding. Why I did not like it then, I'll never know, but I love it now.

That's a funny story, Pompano! Made me laugh!