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View Recipe Archive For: party/holiday spring summer autumn winter

Cooking >> Holiday Bread Pudding

Rum-Spiked Holiday Bread Pudding
Capirotada

While this dessert, capirotada, is traditionally served during Lent in Mexico, I like to make it during the winter holidays, or whenever it is cold and wet outdoors. When I was researching my book, Cocina de la Familia, Mike Esquivel from Zilla, Washington, shared with me his way of preparing this traditional dessert using apples from the surrounding Yakima Valley orchards.

Capirotada comes in many forms, some with thick layers of a melting cheese such as cheddar or Monterey jack, or in another interesting version I’ve eaten with tomatoes, green onions, orange peels and cilantro in the syrup. My family’s favorite is set apart by the inclusion of apples, aniseeds and a hefty splash of rum.

This homey dessert is best served warm, topped with whipped cream or a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream. It’s good the second day, too, especially as a breakfast treat when drenched with cold milk.

For the Rum Syrup

• 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar
• 2 cups apple juice or water
• 3 whole allspice
• 1 4-inch piece true cinnamon bark or 1 cinnamon stick (cassia)
• 1 tablespoon aniseeds
• 2 tablespoons rum or to taste

For the Bread Pudding

• 8 ½-inch slices French bread (if time allows, let the bread slices sit out a few hours to dry)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (cassia)
• 1 medium apple, pared, halved, seeds removed, and thinly sliced
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• ½ cup sliced almonds toasted
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 cup crumbled queso añejo or feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a low baking dish, just big enough so that 2 layers of 4 bread slices each will fit snugly.

Combine the sugar, apple juice, allspice, and cinnamon bark in a medium-size saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer. Place the aniseeds in a tea strainer or tie in a square of cheesecloth, immerse in the simmering syrup for 10 minutes, then remove and discard. If you prefer a more pronounced flavor, leave it until the syrup is done. Continue simmering the syrup until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes more.

While the syrup is simmering, lightly toast the bread slices in the oven. Place 4 of them in an even layer in the baking dish.

Mix the eggs, milk, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Dribble half of the mixture over the bread. Add a layer of apple slices. Sprinkle with half of the nuts, raisins, and cheese. Dot with half of the butter. Place the 4 remaining slices of toast in the pan, dribble on the rest of the egg mixture, evenly distribute the remainder of the nuts, raisins, and cheese, and dot with the remaining butter.

Remove the syrup from the heat. Discard the cinnamon bark, allspice, and aniseed if still left in. Add the rum.

Pour the syrup very slowly over the capirotada, letting the bread on top absorb the syrup and become thoroughly coated. Bake, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, until the top is slightly browned.

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