Madrid-based food blogger Anneke Kooijmans shares a recipe for the classic Spanish Easter dish Torrijas with The Local which she describes as “like French toast, but different…”

TORRIJAS

(Serves two)

Torrijas are a Spanish Easter dessert, they are like French Toast, but different.

Ingredients:

250 milliliters milk
Zest of one lemon
¼ bar of French bread, in thick slices
1 egg, lightly beaten, in a shallow bowl
Good quality olive oil
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup water
1 tablespoon honey
Kitchen towels

READ: Ten mouth-watering dishes to devour in Spain at Easter

Photo: Eduardo/Wikipedia Commons

Preparation:

Mix the milk, the lemon zest, and half of the sugar (1/8 cup) in a saucepan and warm over medium heat. When the milk comes to a boil turn of the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Soak the bread slices in the milk. They should absorb enough liquid, but should not be falling apart. Let the bread slices rest for a minute and let them loose some liquid.

Dip the bread slices in the egg, covering both sides of the bread in egg.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan, the bottom of the pan should be completely covered in oil. Bake the bread slices on both sides until they are crisp. Transfer the bread slices to a kitchen towel to soak up the excess oil.

Mix the remaining sugar (1/8 cup) with the cinnamon and coat the bread slices with some the sugar mixture.

Use the remaining sugar mixture for the syrup: add the mixture to ½ cup of water, add the honey and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Let simmer until it has the consistency of a not too thick syrup, about 20 minutes.

Cover the torrijas with the syrup and let them cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Anneke can be found writing about Iberian favourites at Lentils On Friday.

READ MORE: The essential guide to Easter in Spain

Processions take place across Spain during Holy Week. Photo: AFP