Capirotada (Mexican Dessert)
Description
Fruity, nutty, and cheesy, capirotada is a Mexican dessert made with layers of buttered bread, walnuts, dried fruits, and Monterey Jack cheese drizzled with cinnamon syrup.
Ingredients
•
3 cups water
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16 ounces piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar cone), chopped
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3 cinnamon sticks
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2 tablespoons raw sugar
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2 tablespoons vanilla extract
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1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
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1/4 cup butter
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1 (18 ounce) loaf French bread, sliced
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1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
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1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
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1/2 cup raisins
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1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2
Combine water, piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, sugar, vanilla extract, and cloves in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks.
3
Lightly butter each slice of bread. Place slices in a large, flat baking pan.
4
Bake in the preheated oven until toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Let butter dry.
5
Grease a 9x13-inch cake pan and add 1/2 of the toasted bread. Sprinkle 1/2 of the Monterey Jack cheese, walnuts, raisins, and apricots over the bread. Drizzle 1/2 of the syrup on top to fully coat the bread. Top with the remaining bread, cheese, walnuts, raisins, apricots, and syrup. Cover with aluminum foil.
6
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until lightly browned and heated through, about 15 minutes more. Serve warm.