I immediately demanded that my mom teach me how to make them, but not being much of a dessert maker, she sort of just handed me a Puerto Rican cookbook and encouraged me to figure it out myself. I did, and now you can, too.
Unlike the type of French toast typically made for breakfast, torrijas are a sweeter dish meant to be enjoyed as dessert and can be eaten both hot out of the pan or cooled to room temperature.
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Loved this recipe? Here are three other Latino holiday recipes you might like:
- Coquito: Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog
- Polvorones (Puerto Rican Almond Shortbread Cookies)
- Rosca de Reyes (King Cake)
Thanks so much for reading
Torrijas (Spanish Style French Toast with Anise Syrup)
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 thick, stale French or Italian-style baguette
For the syrup
1 ½ cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon anise extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
For the batter:
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
4 tablespoons butter
Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Directions
Slice the baguette on the bias into 1” thick slices.
Make the syrup: combine the water, sugar, honey, orange zest, salt, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil 1 minute. Lower heat and let simmer 7-10 minutes, or until reduced into a thin syrup. Remove from heat and stir in extracts.
Whisk together eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the bread in the batter and let soak about 30 seconds to 1 minute (do not let the bread get too soggy).
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and fry the battered bread in batches about 3 minutes per side or until golden. Repeat with the rest of the bread, adding more butter as needed.
Place the torrijas on a slightly concave or rimmed serving platter and cover fully with the syrup. Let soak at least 20 minutes before serving. Best served warm or room temperature. I also like to finish it off with a bit of flaky sea salt.
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