Make torrijas at home: the recipe for this iconic Spanish dessert is within everyone’s reach

Torrijas, a typical Spanish sweet

If there is a typical Easter sweet, it is the torrija, a dessert of popular origin made with fried bread that, due to the simplicity of its ingredients, has become the perfect food to eat during these days. (SOURCE: EUROPA PRESS)

A simple recipe with few ingredients

Sometimes we do not throw ourselves into the kitchen because we think that this sweet is much more complicated to prepare than it really is. Milk, bread, eggs and a splash of sweet syrup, plus the desire to enjoy this delicacy, is all we need.

Millenary origin

The origin of the torrija seems to go back to Roman times. In this sense, references have been found to a recipe from the 1st century A.D. of a very similar recipe based on toast or cookie, milk, oil and honey.

Its popularity has a history

Throughout Spain they became very popular during Lent. Bread, milk and eggs provided energy to the farmers and were affordable ingredients for the poorest of the poor.

A perfect recipe for making the most of

When it comes to making this dessert, some people prefer special bread for torrijas, but the truth is that the recipe is also very tasty with bread from the day before. In fact, it is an excellent recipe for making the most of it, economical and healthy with natural ingredients, as well as delicious.

A sweet treat for mothers

A dessert for postpartum in the 17th century. According to some writings, back in the 1600s, the torrija recipe was used to soothe laboring women and to help them recover after childbirth.

Food for the table

Associating Lent and Holy Week was some time later, although the exact date is not known. Although there are many experts who believe that it was due to the need to take advantage of the leftover bread during the time when meat could not be eaten.

Ideal for breakfast, afternoon snack and dessert

If you prepare many and keep them in the fridge, alone, without wine or syrup, you can use them as an excellent snack for children at recess. They will also delight them at breakfast or snack, and they are much healthier than cereals, cookies or industrial pastries.

In Spain and other countries

Despite what you may think, the torrija is not a sweet exclusive to Spain. Although they have been adapted to local tastes, there are other countries that have their «own» torrijas. An example of this is Greece with its «Avgofeta», the Swiss «Fotzelschnitten», the «Fatias» of Portugal or the French toast in France.

Ingredients

2 loaves of bread for torrijas; 2 eggs; 150 gr. of sugar (approx.); 150 ml. of water; 1 tablespoon of honey; one or two tablespoons of sweet wine, mistela or aniseed (optional); 1 liter of milk; lemon, orange or lime zest, whichever you prefer; a stick of cinnamon; vanilla, in branch or in essence; 0.4 olive oil for frying.

Prepared by

Make a syrup with about 100 grams of sugar and a tablespoon of honey. Heat over low heat until it turns a nice golden color. Very carefully, to avoid splashes that could burn you, add the water.

This step is optional, it can be done without adding alcohol.

Add a couple of tablespoons of sweet wine or aniseed. In this case, increase the heat until the alcohol evaporates and the mixture is thick. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool.

A citrus and sweet touch

On the other hand, heat 1 liter of milk in a saucepan, add lemon or orange peel, 50 grams of sugar, a cinnamon stick and vanilla. Add the lemon or orange peel, 50 grams of sugar, a cinnamon stick and the vanilla, as soon as it comes to a boil, remove from the heat and let it stand until it is almost cold, so that the milk infuses.