Mexican Torrejas Recipe
Course: Deserts, MexicanCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: MediumServings
4
servingsPrep time
20
minutesCooking time
1
hour10
minutesHello, fellow food lovers! I’m back with another delightful recipe that will surely make you the superstar of your family.
Today I’m going to share with you a recipe that’s very dear to my heart – Torrejas. It’s a Mexican dish akin to French toast, but with a twist that takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Mexican foods are known for their uniqueness, savory taste, and amazing texture and colors – and this Torrejas recipe is no exception.
Torrejas are basically slices of bread coated in eggs, lightly fried until they’re crispy, and then soaked in an indulgent piloncillo syrup. The piloncillo syrup is the secret that makes this dish extraordinary!
The name ‘Torreja’ in Spanish means ‘slice,’ and this recipe is Mexico’s version of the beloved breakfast dish – so you expect to receive a combination of both Spanish and Mexican flavors.
But don’t let the word ‘breakfast’ limit you – these sweet treats are also served during Lent and are perfect for any time of the day when you want something sweet and satisfying.
Now, here’s a little secret I’ve learned from making this dish countless times for my family: the quality of the bread is crucial. You want to use good-quality bread, something sturdy that can hold up to being dipped in egg, fried, and soaked in syrup.
You don’t want to comprise the texture as well as the taste just to save a couple of bucks. This is one of the recipes that need quality ingredients.
Also, make sure to fry the Torrejas just right. If they’re undercooked, the inside texture can be unpleasantly soggy. But get it right, and you’ll have a delightful contrast between the crispy exterior and the soft, sweet interior.
The main goal is to make the Torrejas perfect inside out.
Want to learn a fun fact about Torrejas – here is one: Torrejas are not unique to Mexico. They’re a traditional dessert in many Latin American countries, including Spain and El Salvador.
Each country has its own twist on the recipe, but the basic concept remains the same: bread soaked, fried, and coated in syrup. In some places, they’re even served with panela syrup and various spices.
This makes sense because this recipe is pretty versatile and lets you experiment with it as much as you want.
But what sets the Mexican version apart is the piloncillo syrup. Piloncillo is unrefined cane sugar, commonly used in Mexican cooking. It gives the syrup a rich, caramel-like flavor that pairs beautifully with the crispy, eggy bread.
The richness of the Piloncillo syrup perfectly balances with the savory and moist bread making it very flavorful.
And while we’re on the subject of syrup, don’t be shy about it. The Torrejas should be generously soaked in syrup to get that real indulgent experience.
As a person who loves to cook healthy and delicious meals for my family, I appreciate that Torrejas can be made healthier with a few tweaks. For example, you can use whole-grain bread for added fiber – you can also control the amount of syrup to reduce the sugar content.
And the best part? It only takes 1 to 1 hour 20 minutes to prepare. Not an experienced cook? Not an issue. I kept the cooking process simple and only used ingredients that don’t need extra effort to cook.
So this is it! Try this recipe yourself and let us know in the comments how it went. Can’t wait to hear from you! Good luck.
Today I’m going to share with you a recipe that’s very dear to my heart – Torrejas. It’s a Mexican dish akin to French toast, but with a twist that takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.
Mexican foods are known for their uniqueness, savory taste, and amazing texture and colors – and this Torrejas recipe is no exception.
Torrejas are basically slices of bread coated in eggs, lightly fried until they’re crispy, and then soaked in an indulgent piloncillo syrup. The piloncillo syrup is the secret that makes this dish extraordinary!
The name ‘Torreja’ in Spanish means ‘slice,’ and this recipe is Mexico’s version of the beloved breakfast dish – so you expect to receive a combination of both Spanish and Mexican flavors.
But don’t let the word ‘breakfast’ limit you – these sweet treats are also served during Lent and are perfect for any time of the day when you want something sweet and satisfying.
Now, here’s a little secret I’ve learned from making this dish countless times for my family: the quality of the bread is crucial. You want to use good-quality bread, something sturdy that can hold up to being dipped in egg, fried, and soaked in syrup.
You don’t want to comprise the texture as well as the taste just to save a couple of bucks. This is one of the recipes that need quality ingredients.
Also, make sure to fry the Torrejas just right. If they’re undercooked, the inside texture can be unpleasantly soggy. But get it right, and you’ll have a delightful contrast between the crispy exterior and the soft, sweet interior.
The main goal is to make the Torrejas perfect inside out.
Want to learn a fun fact about Torrejas – here is one: Torrejas are not unique to Mexico. They’re a traditional dessert in many Latin American countries, including Spain and El Salvador.
Each country has its own twist on the recipe, but the basic concept remains the same: bread soaked, fried, and coated in syrup. In some places, they’re even served with panela syrup and various spices.
This makes sense because this recipe is pretty versatile and lets you experiment with it as much as you want.
But what sets the Mexican version apart is the piloncillo syrup. Piloncillo is unrefined cane sugar, commonly used in Mexican cooking. It gives the syrup a rich, caramel-like flavor that pairs beautifully with the crispy, eggy bread.
The richness of the Piloncillo syrup perfectly balances with the savory and moist bread making it very flavorful.
And while we’re on the subject of syrup, don’t be shy about it. The Torrejas should be generously soaked in syrup to get that real indulgent experience.
As a person who loves to cook healthy and delicious meals for my family, I appreciate that Torrejas can be made healthier with a few tweaks. For example, you can use whole-grain bread for added fiber – you can also control the amount of syrup to reduce the sugar content.
And the best part? It only takes 1 to 1 hour 20 minutes to prepare. Not an experienced cook? Not an issue. I kept the cooking process simple and only used ingredients that don’t need extra effort to cook.
So this is it! Try this recipe yourself and let us know in the comments how it went. Can’t wait to hear from you! Good luck.
Ingredients
- Piloncillo Syrup
450 g (1 lb) piloncillo/panela
450 ml (15 fl oz) water
450 ml water
- Torrejas
300 ml (10 fl oz) milk
4 medium eggs
15 pieces of baguette
A pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil for sautéing
Directions
- Piloncillo syrup
- Microwave the piloncillo for about 40 seconds to soften it up. Grate it on a coarse grater.
- Add Piloncillo, water and cinnamon sticks to a heavy bottomed skillet.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook the syrup for about 20-25 minutes. Stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Pour the finished syrup into a jar and cool it down to room temperature.
- Torrejas
- Wash the eggs well. Pat them dry with paper towels. Then separate the whites from the yolks.
- Add egg whites and a pinch of salt to a large bowl. Beat the whites with a mixer for 5 minutes until a dense foam forms.
- Then one by one, add the yolks. Mix for half a minute after adding each yolk.
- Mix vanilla extract with milk.
- Dip each slice of bread in milk.
- Add vegetable oil to a pan and wait a couple of minutes until it warms up. When the oil is hot, dip the slices of bread into the bowl with the beaten eggs.
- Put them in a pan and saute on each side for 30 seconds.
- Place the finished torrejas in a large bowl and pour over the piloncillo syrup. Mix them well with your hands to distribute the syrup as evenly as possible.
- Serve the finished dessert hot. Drizzle with remaining syrup and enjoy!
