- ½ liter of milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 lemon (peel)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1/8 cup of rum or liqueur
- 1 pound of Cuban bread
- 2 eggs
- frying oil
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon or orange peel
For the syrup:
Bring half a liter of milk to a boil with 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, a cinnamon stick, and a lemon peel. Once it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and add rum or another liquor along with 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Slice the bread into approximately one-inch thick pieces. Place them on a tray and soak with the infused milk, making sure not to let them get too soggy or they will fall apart in the next steps.
In a deep skillet, heat the oil.
Beat the eggs and add a little milk to achieve a smoother consistency. Dip each slice of bread in the milk, then into the beaten eggs, and fry them individually in hot oil.
Adding milk to the beaten eggs prevents a thick crust, like a tortilla, from forming when frying the bread. Instead, you get a golden color and a thin, crispy layer.
As the torrejas turn golden brown, flip them and fry them on the other side. Then, remove them from the oil and fry the next one. Drain them on paper towels and set them aside.
Prepare the syrup:
In a pot, combine all the ingredients. Let simmer until it begins to thicken.
When lifting the spoon, if a thread of syrup forms, remove it from the heat as it’s ready. Another way to tell is that if you touch it, it will stick to your fingers.
To preserve the Torrejas de la Abuela, wait for them to cool down, place them in a container, and pour syrup over them until they are covered. Keep them at a cool temperature, and if you want them to make it to dessert after dinner, hide them in the refrigerator, as they tend to disappear quickly.
Enjoy your meal!