TORRIJAS (SPANISH DESSERT)

Torrijas (Spanish Dessert) image

Provided by Vickie Parks

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 fench or italian baguette (stale or day-old loaves work best)
1 large lemon
2 cups milk
2 whole cinnamon sticks
2 Tbsp honey
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp water
2 to 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon (for dusting the tops)
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp neutral oil such corn oil, canola oil, vegetable oil (it's best avoid using olive oil or other distinctly flavored oil for this recipe)

Steps:

1. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. Lay the slices flat in a 9x13-inch baking dish in a single layer. (The slices can touch, but don't let slices overlap; use a second dish if needed). Set dish aside. Peel the lemon, and cut the peel into thick strips. (You won't use the lemon pulp for this recipe, but you can save it to use for another use.)
2. Place milk, honey, cinnamon sticks and strips of lemon peel in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and let simmer 10 minutes. Let the milk mixture cool about 5 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and chunks of lemon peel, then pour the milky mixture over the top of baguette slices. Set aside about 15 minutes to allow the slices soak up all the milky mixture.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. Beat the eggs and water together in a bowl. Dip each baguette slice in the egg mixture and then place several slices in the hot skillet, and cook about 5 minutes or until the bottoms are browned. Gently flip, and cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until the other side is browned. Add more oil if needed to prevent sticking. You might have to cook them in batches, depending on skillet size.
5. Place the cooked Torrijas on a flat platter. Dust the surface with a light sprinkling of ground cinnamon, then drizzle honey on top. Set aside to cool completely. The honey should soak into the bread slices over time, which is OK because it makes the Torrijas sweeter.