Torrejas are a treat made during Christmas and Easter in Salvadoran Culture. If you like french toast, you’ll definitely like these goodies as well with their similarities. Although this was the first time I have ever tasted Torrejas, this recipe is so easy to follow that it cannot possibly be messed up, even for a beginner like me. They were an absolute delight to make, but even more so to eat.
Ingredients for Torrejas:
- One challah bread
- Three cinnamon sticks
- Six whole cloves
- Six eggs
- One panela (hardened brown sugar)
- One half cup of vegetable oil
- Four cups of water
First, we’ll start by making the sauce. Bring four cups of water to boil with the panela, three cinnamon sticks and six cloves. When it starts to boil, stir the sauce, turn the heat to low and let it simmer while preparing the bread.
Cut the bread into one inch sections. If some slices are too big, cut them in half so that they are a manageable size. Also, make sure to remove the ends of the bread.
To make the batter, separate the six egg yolks and egg whites and then beat the egg whites in a bowl for a few minutes until it is very fluffy. Then, add the egg yolks into the bowl one by one while continuing to stir.
Add one half a cup of vegetable oil into a pan and let it heat on medium-high heat.
Batter all sides of the slice of bread and let it cook in the pan until it is golden brown. Then, flip it over and repeat the same process for the other side as well. It should take approximately two minutes on each side.
Then, flip the bread onto its sides for just a few seconds to get it golden brown and then remove them from the pan.
Make sure to place the Torrejas on something that lets the oil drain for a few minutes such as paper towels or a drainer.
Next, add the bread into the sauce and let it soak over low heat for 20 minutes.
Afterwards, let it sit and cool down. Then, wait until the following day to eat them. They taste the best after a couple of days when all of the flavors have soaked in.
Finally, enjoy these delicious breakfast treats. They can last for up to one week in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer.
All photos taken by Morgan Han-Lemus '23
Credits:
All photos by Morgan Han-Lemus '23