Recipe: Capirotada for Heather

Capirotada
This is sort of the Mexican version of bread pudding. According to Jane Milton the dessert was originally created to use up leftovers before the Lenten fast.

1 small loaf crusty bread, a few days old
1/2 to 1/3 cup butter, softened (plus some for greasing the pan)
scant 1 cup brown sugar (or piloncillo, crushed)
1 stick canela (cinnamon)
1 2/3 cup water
3 tablespoons dry sherry
3/4 cup sliced almonds (plus a bit more for garnish)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup grated Monterey Jack or mild Cheddar cheese
light cream for serving

Slice the bread about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly butter the bread on both sides and fry a few pieces at a time in a warmed pan as you would French Toast, browning each slice on both sides. Set the cooked slices aside.

Place the sugar or piloncillo, canela and water in a saucepan. Heat gently stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes without stirring. Remove the canela stick and stir in the sherry.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square baking dish with butter. Layer the bread, almonds, raisins and cheese in the dish, pour on the syrup letting it soak into the bread. Bake the pudding for about 30 minutes until golden brown.

Remove the dish from the oven, let stand at least 5 minutes, cut into squares. Serve the pudding cold with cream pour on top and garnished with more sliced almonds.