Torrejas
                                                           Classic Easter Dessert
                                                                  

Ingredients:
1/2 a loaf bread (leave out crusty French or Spanish style bread for a day or two)
1 pint whole milk
1 tablespoon mexican vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup of sugar (I used bakers sugar)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoons ground cloves
1/4 stick salted butter
3 cups of water
1/3 cup of raisins
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Preparation:
Slice day-old bread into inch or inch and a half slices
Add vanilla to milk
Add 1 Tablespoon of sugar to eggs and then beat
Place bread in milk and vanilla mixture and then in egg and sugar
Melt butter at medium temperature
Fry pieces of bread dipped in egg and milk in butter, over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side
Place paper towel on plate and and place pieces of bread here to drain
While bread is draining.......
In a heavy saucepan or skillet (non stick) melt the sugar over medium heat until uniformly golden brown and smooth
Move the sugar around the pan by tilting it rather than using a spoon to stir
Carefully add the water, cinnamon (canola) and cloves, bring to a full boil
Reduce the heat to a slow boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened to a syrup consistency
Remove from heat, add raisins and almonds
Dip each slice of bread in the syrup and place on the serving platter.
Pour the remaining syrup, raisins and almonds over the bread slices.
Cover and leave overnight
Serve with whipped cream strawberries or Kahlúa.

*If you're in a hurry, just heat up some maple syrup etc.. and add ingredients. I've done that before too.