When cooking Mexican cuisine, I like to explore and experiment with the sweeter side of what the culture has to offer. One of my favorites is Capirotada which has also been called the Mexican version of bread pudding. This dish is traditionally eaten during Lent and this dish is both delicious and inexpensive. Many of the ingredients are items you can find around the house including nuts, dried or fresh fruits, and day-old bread. The traditional versions include cheese on top but I omit this ingredient for a healthier alternative.
Read Related: Lenten Recipes: Baked Shrimp Veracruz
LENTEN CAPIROTADA
Ingredients:
½ cup Piloncilo
½ cup apple juice
½ cup water
pinch of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (1 tsp.)
2 Star anise
1 Clove
3 Tbsp. butter
Ambrosia apple, small dice
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ cup almonds, chopped
1½ cups stale bolillo
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine the piloncillo, apple juice and water in a small pot and cook until dissolved.
3. Add the salt, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and butter. Cook down into a syrup, about ten minutes.
4. Tear the stale bread into medium sized chunks.
5. Butter ramekins and layer the bread, apple, cranberries, walnuts, and almonds.
6. Pour the syrup into the ramekins and reserve some of the syrup.
7. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until the bread is soft and it is baked through.
8. Finish the dish by drizzling the leftover syrup over the top and top it off with vanilla whipped cream.
Vanilla Whipped Cream:
Ingredients:
½ cup whipped cream
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Place the whipped cream in a bowl.
2. Split the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds with a knife.
3. Add to whipped cream and mix.
Health Tip: Whipped cream can be substituted with a fat-free variety.
