Desserts, What's Cookin

Mexican bread pudding “Capirotada” Recipe

This recipe I am going to share with you is one of my favorites to make and eat during Lent. I grew up eating this and always loved it when my mom made it. Capirotada is traditionally a food Mexicans make and eat during Lent. After Ash Wednesday begins Lent. Lent is the 40-day (excluding Sundays) season that precedes Easter. On Ash Wednesday and all Fridays throughout Lent, most people fast and abstain from eating meat and a Mexican tradition is to make this bread pudding “Capirotada” Recipe…

The most popular food we eat during Lent is capirotada. Capirotada is a Mexican bread pudding made with cinnamon, piloncillo, cloves, raisins, bread, and cheese. Yes, you read it right…cheese. The combination of these ingredients make my mouth water!

The tradition of making this dish for many Mexican and Mexican-American families is as a a reminder of the suffering of Christ on the cross. The ingredients in this recipe carry a rich and symbolic representation. The bread is for the Body of Christ, the syrup is his blood, the cloves are the nails on the cross, the cinnamon sticks symbolize the wooden cross, and the melted cheese stands for the Holy Shroud. My mom has been making this recipe for years and below I will share with you this quick and easy recipe for you to try and enjoy!

Ingredient List

4 Bolillo rolls or French rolls (try buying them pre toasted if available)

Water

2 Piloncillo cones (Mexican brown sugar)

3 Cinnamon sticks

1 cup cheese (I prefer mozzarella) but anything that can be shredded

1 cup Raisins

1 cup Dried Prunes

4 tablespoons of Butter

** Preheat oven to 350 degrees

First
Dice your banana, shred your cheese, and have all other ingredients ready in bowls.

Next,
Combine water (about 4 cups), cinnamon, and piloncillo in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Then,

In your “olla” or a large casserole dish line the bottom of it with tortillas. This is so it creates a base so it will not stick.The begin the first layer of your toasted bread and lay it flat on the bottom. Do it like this:

You will then begin to layer on all the other ingredients. The bananas, peanuts, raisins, cheese, etc.

At the very end of your layers you then pour the syrup you made with the piloncillo. Drench the entire thing! Make sure it is very wet. You want the bread to be mushy.