Cooking instructions
30 minutes Print
2. Using a mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until white, add the yolks, vanilla and continue beating. Mixer tool It is convenient to beat egg whites, as well as knead other substances like minced meat or dough, not by hand (as this requires effort and time), but using a mixer like a KitchenAid. For example, the Artisan model has ten speed modes and three different attachments for working with any consistency, and it is also a universal food processor.
3. Add 180 ml of milk and flour, continue beating.
4. Separately, beat the whites into a strong foam. Gently fold the egg whites into the dough using a silicone spatula.
Crib How to beat egg whites
5. Grease the baking dish with butter and dust with flour so that the cake does not stick to the walls and bottom during baking.
6. Carefully pour the dough into the mold and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Tool Oven thermometer How the oven actually heats up, even if you set a specific temperature, can only be understood with experience. It is better to have a small thermometer on hand that is placed in the oven or simply hung on the grill. And it is better that it shows degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit simultaneously and accurately - like a Swiss watch. A thermometer is important when you need to strictly observe the temperature regime: for example, in the case of baking.
1. Sift flour and baking powder, add salt. Separate the whites from the yolks. Flour seeder tool Flour must be sifted even if you grind it yourself and guarantee the absence of lumps and pellets. Waking up through the sieve, the flour is loosened, saturated with oxygen, the dough rises better and then has a better texture. You can sift using any fine sieve or, for example, a special OXO seeder, which works on the principle of a meditative rocking chair.
For many of us, the taste of childhood is associated with pieces of bread fried in milk, eggs and sugar. Preparing this delicacy was a signature dish for most mothers and grandmothers. When planning a trip to Spain, you can return to your real childhood.
The sunny country has its own sweet toast, soaked in milk or wine, and they are called torrijas. With the approach of the Catholic Semana Santa, or Holy Week (20 to 26 March 2016), this dish becomes especially relevant and is served in all bars and restaurants.
Mark on history
The first recipe for the unusual use of bread was found in one of the cookbooks of the 14th century; it belonged to a French cook. Of course, the world-famous baguette did not yet exist, but they had already figured out how to use stale bread. The chef recommended dipping the pieces in egg, sprinkling with sugar and frying in oil. Torrijas just means “fried.”
This sweet reached Spain around the 15th century. “The Father of Spanish Drama,” Juan del Encina, mentioned torrijas in his book as a good remedy for recovery after hard physical work. In his opinion, honey and eggs contributed to this. In the 20th century, torrijas were very popular in Madrid taverns - they were served with wine as an addition.
The tradition of making golden toast during Holy Week has a religious explanation. Bread, in both Christianity and Catholicism, is associated with the body of Jesus Christ. Eggs and milk are baths to cleanse his body, and frying in oil is suffering before the Resurrection. In ancient times, this dessert was considered divine.
Torrijas are also a favorite these days and are made throughout the year and are often served with cinnamon, syrup, liqueur or honey.
Following traditions
For torrijas, it is best to use a regular sliced loaf (or any bread with a dense consistency) that is two days old. If the bread is still soft, you can dry it in the oven or toaster. The pieces should not be thicker than two centimeters.
Ingredients:
- 250 g white bread
- 0.5 l milk
- 3 tbsp. l. Sahara
- 2 eggs
- cinnamon stick
- Peel of 1 lemon
To prepare a traditional Spanish sweet, you need to heat the milk, add sugar, lemon peel, and a cinnamon stick and stir well. Keep on the stove for a few more minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved (do not bring to a boil). Let the mixture sit for a while and soak the pieces of bread in it. To ensure they are properly soaked, wait 5-10 minutes.
At this time, beat the eggs and heat the frying pan with sunflower oil. Dip the bread in the egg mixture and fry it on both sides until golden brown. If you are cooking for a large group, do not forget to change the oil. Place the toasted bread on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
You can experiment and replace some of the cow's milk with coconut milk or use dry red wine instead of milk. In the latter case, it is better to leave the mixture for 8 hours.
Delicious syrup is the key to success
An equally important task is to prepare a delicious syrup that is poured over torrijas. The easiest option is to bring 0.5 liters of water with 125 grams of sugar to a boil and wait until the liquid has evaporated by half. You can add one tablespoon of sweet white wine or your favorite liqueur.
As soon as the torrijas have cooled, pour syrup over them, sprinkle with cinnamon, powdered sugar or add a few drops of honey - and the dish is ready. Toast also goes well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream garnished with mint leaves.
A more complicated option is orange-chocolate torrijas. To prepare the syrup, you need to squeeze 150 ml of orange juice and mix it with 100 grams of sugar, heat over low heat. When the sugar dissolves, add a tablespoon of honey and stir until slightly thickened. Then cool and soak the already fried torrijas. Melt the chocolate in a water bath, dip half the croutons into it and let it harden. Unusual torrijas with orange and chocolate are ready!
Torrijas in Spanish restaurants
Today’s article is dedicated to real sweet tooths, because we will talk about national Spanish sweets. Spain can safely boast of a large number of national desserts and other delicacies. But how can you not get lost among all this wide variety of sweets and, without overdoing it with unwanted calories, try only the best? Our editors have prepared for you the top best Spanish desserts.
Catalan cream (Crema catalana)– this dessert, as its name suggests, is typical of the autonomous region of Catalonia and is a delicate creamy cream with notes of vanilla and a delicious sugar crust. This dish is a little reminiscent of the French “crème brûlée”, but differs from its neighbor by replacing the heavy cream used in France with lower-fat milk. In addition, the composition of “Cream Catalana” includes sugar and egg yolk. The history of this dessert goes back to the Middle Ages, as the recipe is mentioned in cookbooks of the 14th-16th centuries. In Catalonia you can also find yoghurt and liqueurs with the taste of crema catalana.
- a pastry originally from Galicia, which today can be tasted even in the smallest village of this autonomy, including in the settlements through which the pilgrimage route “The Way of St. James” passes, leading to Santiago de Compostella. The first mention of this almond biscuit dates back to 1577. The process of preparing it is very simple, and the result is amazing. The dough contains no flour, it is completely replaced by ground almonds, thanks to which the baked goods acquire a rich almond taste and aroma. In addition, cinnamon and lemon zest are added to the tarta de Santiago, and powdered sugar is sprinkled on top, leaving an area that forms a cross shape that is not sprinkled. By the way, they began decorating this cake with the symbols of the cross already in the 20th century, and this innovation quickly gained popularity, becoming a real symbol of the aromatic pastries of the north of Spain.
Royal Cake (Roscon de Reyes) is a Spanish sweet pastry in the shape of a toroid (a large donut, round, with a hole in the center), decorated with candied fruits or chocolate. This unique Easter cake is usually eaten during the New Year and Christmas holidays. According to some sources, this pastry came to us from the era of the ancient Romans, for whom it was dedicated to the festival of Saturn, hence the form of sweetness. Some gastronomy historians associate the form of baking with the Christmas wreath that is used to decorate homes during the winter holidays. Be that as it may, today eating Roscón de Reyes is already a kind of fun, because a small surprise is placed inside this sweet pie and everyone who eats it hopes that the gift will be in his piece. Although, this custom varies depending on the region of Spain. So, while in some parts of the country finding a surprise is considered prestigious, in others it means that the finder pays for this or next year's baked goods.
Turron- another Spanish delicacy that symbolizes Christmas. After all, it is during this period that hundreds of variations of this delicious dessert appear on sale. Initially, turron is a sweet mass made from a mixture of honey (or sugar) and almonds. The provinces of Valencia and Alicante are considered the birthplace of turron, and it is in this part of Spain that today the largest production of turron exists. Almonds can be either whole or ground, and the sweet mass itself can be made with the addition of marzipan, chocolate, nougat and other ingredients. It is generally accepted that the Spaniards owe the appearance of various varieties of almond-based sweets here to the Arabs, who ruled the territory of what is now Spain for a long time and made a significant contribution to local gastronomy.
Shortbread cookies (Polvoron)– another Christmas sweet. These are small cookies made from a mixture of flour, sugar and a large amount of butter. The cookies are baked at high temperatures, which allows for a golden brown crust on the outside and a very crumbly and tender center. The region that produces the largest amount of polvorones in Spain is Andalusia. Almonds, cinnamon, lemon zest and other flavor accents are also added to the basic mixture of ingredients. Polvoron, like turron, occupies a special place on the sweet table of every self-respecting Spaniard during all winter holidays.
Ensaimada from Mallorca– the name of this sweet speaks of its place of origin. Ensaimada is a true symbol of the island of Mallorca. This is a snail-shaped pastry made from very soft, slightly flaky dough, always sprinkled with powdered sugar on top. The name of the baked goods has Arabic roots; “saim” means “fat” in Arabic. A large amount of pork fat is added to the dough for ensaymada, which makes it incredibly tender, and, of course, high in calories. Presumably, ensaymada in Mallorca began to be baked everywhere around the 17th century and these ancient recipes are carefully preserved by local residents. Tender cream or pumpkin jam is added inside the baked goods, but there is also an option without additives. Today, every self-respecting tourist is sure to buy a box of ensaymada as a tasty souvenir from Mallorca.
Torrijas- this is a traditional sweet Easter dish, to describe it in a nutshell, it is bread that is soaked in milk or wine, dipped in an egg and fried in a large amount of vegetable oil. And as you already understood, this is similar to our Russian croutons!
A little about the history of Torrijas. The first mentions of this dish were found in documents of the 15th century, which advised women to eat them with honey during the postpartum period. Then in 1607, the cook at the student residence of the University of Salamanca, Domingo Hernandes de Maceras, described the Torrijas recipe in his famous book on how students of that era should eat.
At the beginning of the 20th century, it was very popular in taverns in Madrid to serve Torrijas with a glass of wine.
It is believed that Torrijas began to be prepared as an Easter dish because during Lent, when meat cannot be eaten, the consumption of bread in families was also reduced, and they baked the same amount as before. Therefore, it was necessary to somehow use the remaining bread so that it would not go to waste. This is how this Easter dish appeared in Spain.
Now about how to cook Torrijas. For this you will need the following products: 1 long loaf of white bread, ½ liter of milk, 125 gr. sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, a little cinnamon powder, zest of one orange or lemon, several eggs (depending on the size of the loaf), sunflower oil.
We cut the loaf into pieces 1.5 - 2 cm thick. It is better to take a loaf that is not fresh, one or two days old. In one bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk, in another mix the sugar and cinnamon powder.
Pour milk into a saucepan and add a cinnamon stick, orange or lemon zest. Place on the fire and heat until hot over low heat. Let the milk steep so that it absorbs the aroma of cinnamon and citrus.
Then soak the pieces of bread in milk, but do not allow the bread to become completely soft. Place the soaked pieces in a colander or on a wire rack to drain off excess milk.
In a deep frying pan, heat a large amount of sunflower oil to a boil. Dip the soaked pieces of bread in the egg and fry in oil on both sides.
Remove the finished Torrijas to a paper towel to remove excess oil. Dip each in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon, place on a plate and serve!
As mentioned above, instead of milk, bread can be soaked in sweet wine - this is a matter of taste! And instead of sugar, you can pour honey or syrup. As with cooking any dish, you can always improvise.
As you can see, preparing Spanish Torrijas is easy and simple! And delicious!
Torrijas is a simple and easy-to-prepare Spanish dessert with a truly luxurious taste. The first written mentions of torrijas are found in sources from the 15th century. At that time, it was believed that torrijas supplemented with honey had healing properties. But the dish earned popular love primarily because it was affordable and made it possible to save and use even the most stale bread for food. Over the past centuries, the dish has not lost its popularity and today is one of the most traditional Easter dishes in Spanish cuisine.
Behind the mysterious name “torrijas” (translated from Spanish - fried) hides the familiar and familiar to many croutons - pieces of bread fried in a frying pan. However, the Spanish approach to preparing this simplest dish radically changes its taste and turns unremarkable, at first glance, slices of stale bread into a luxurious delicacy that you want to enjoy again and again. Soaked in sweet, flavored milk or wine, and wrapped in a spicy sugar syrup, golden-brown and deliciously toasted on the outside, torrijas remain incredibly juicy and tender on the inside and literally melt in your mouth. To say it's delicious is an understatement! Be sure to try it!
Prepare the ingredients according to the list.
Prepare orange syrup. Squeeze the juice of 2 large oranges. Measure the resulting amount of juice (I got 150 milliliters).
Pour the juice into a small saucepan and add an equal amount of sugar (in my case - 150 grams).
Bring the mixture to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms and stirring occasionally, and simmer the syrup over medium heat for 7-10 minutes until it thickens slightly. Then turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool while you prepare the croutons. The syrup will thicken even more as it cools.
Instead of orange syrup, you can also use regular sugar syrup by boiling a mixture of 150 ml of water and 150 grams of sugar until thick, or even just sprinkle the croutons with powdered sugar, but with orange syrup it will be much tastier.
Cut two-day-old stale white bread into slices 2-3 centimeters thick. For preparing dessert, slightly dried bread with a dense crumb, like a classic loaf or baguette, is ideal. If you don’t have stale bread on hand, but you really want croutons, dry the slices of bread in a toaster or oven, so they will become denser and will not fall apart during the process of making croutons.
Place the bread slices in a deep plate or mold with high sides.
Prepare flavored milk. Measure milk into a saucepan. Add cinnamon stick, 2-3 tbsp. sugar and the zest of 1 orange, cut into large pieces.
Over low heat, stirring, bring the milk to almost a boil. Then turn off the heat and pour the hot milk over the pieces of bread.
Soak the bread slices in the milk for 5-10 minutes, or until the slices are completely saturated with milk. The time for soaking bread in milk is not constant; it depends on the density of the bread crumb and the staleness of the bread and can take up to 30 minutes. The result you should focus on is that the pieces of bread should become nourished and moderately elastic, like a sponge, but at the same time retain their shape and not fall apart in your hands. I soaked slices of two-day fresh French baguette for about 8-10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs with a fork.
Dip the bread slices into the beaten egg.
And fry over medium heat in a small amount of vegetable oil on both sides until golden brown.
Place the fried torrijas on a napkin or paper towel for a few seconds to absorb excess oil.
Then top the croutons with the prepared orange syrup and serve.
Sweet Spanish croutons Torrijas are ready. Bon appetit!
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