Capirotada

Name: Capirotada
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: New Mexican
Ingredients: 8 cups Bread; 1.5 cups Piloncillo; 3 cups Water; 2 Cinnamon stick; 1 cup Raisins; 1 cup Cheese; 0.5 cup Nuts; 3 tbsp Butter

A layered bread pudding soaked in cinnamon-piloncillo syrup with cheese, raisins and nuts, traditionally eaten during Lent.

🇺🇸United States· New Mexico

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 320 kcal

Equipment

•Baking dish
•Saucepan

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 320 kcal
fat: 12
carbs: 48
protein: 7
calories: 320

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking dish.
2
Add the piloncillo (raw cane sugar), water, and cinnamon sticks to a saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes until dissolved, then remove the cinnamon sticks.
3
Toss the toasted bread cubes with the melted butter. Spread half of the bread in the prepared baking dish.
4
Scatter half the raisins, nuts, and cheese over the bread. Repeat with the remaining bread, raisins, nuts, and cheese.
5
Pour the warm piloncillo syrup evenly over the top. Press down gently so the bread absorbs the liquid.
6
Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10–15 minutes more until the cheese melts and turns lightly golden.
7
Let rest 10 minutes before serving warm.

Chef's tips

Toast the bread until dry and firm before layering so it holds its shape without turning mushy.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days, covered.

Reheating

Serve warm or at room temperature; warm gently in a low oven if desired.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using soft fresh bread instead of well-toasted bread, which collapses into a soggy mess.
•Using only white sugar instead of piloncillo, which loses the rich molasses flavor.
•Overbaking the dish, which dries it out instead of keeping it moist and syrupy.