In memory of my Grandmother and my Father who love this Mexican dessert
Ingredients
6 stale bolillos, torn in 1/2″ chunks
1/2 C. butter, softened
4 C. water
3-4 piloncillos, crushed (about 2 cups)
4″ piece of stick cinnamon
1 whole clove
1/2 a large tomato, chopped (to be strained out)
1/2 medium onion, chopped (to be strained out)
1 cup raisins
1 cup peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped
1/2 pound Manchego or Ranchero cheese (or a blend of both), shredded
PREPARATION
Put the bread chunks in a bowl. Melt the butter, drizzle over bread and toss to coat. Spread on a baking dish and toast under a broiler for 5 minutes or so, turning as needed until nicely browned and crisp. Remove from broiler and set aside.
Heat oven to 350° F (175° C)
Butter a 9″x13″ baking dish.
In a medium saucepan, mix water, crushed piloncillo, cinnamon, clove, tomato, and onion. Bring to a boil, then simmer 5-10 minutes or until slightly thickened into a syrup. Pour through a strainer and discard solids. Keep syrup warm.
In a buttered casserole dish, layer 1/3 of the bread cubes. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the raisins, nuts and cheese. Drizzle about 1/4 or less of the syrup over this layer, letting it soak into the bread. Continue layering bread, raisins, nuts and cheese, sprinkling each with syrup. Finish with a layer of cheese. Pour the rest of the syrup over the whole dish.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the top layer of cheese is bubbling and browned. Serve warm.
Makes about 8 servings.
NOTE: Here are some acceptable substitutions for this Capirotada Recipe if you’re having trouble finding the traditional Mexican ingredients:
- For bolillos, substitute stale French bread.
- For piloncillo, substitute packed dark brown sugar.
- For dry Mexican ranchero and Manchego cheese, substitute Monterey Jack and/or white cheddar
Variations: Add any or all of the following into the layers:
- chopped bananas or apples
- chopped walnuts or pecans
- grated orange or lemon peel
Having trouble finding piloncillo and other authentic Mexican ingredients for your
Mexican recipes? Get ’em online! You can get authentic Mexican ingredients at MexGrocer.com
