Capirotada, New Mexico’s Bread Pudding

Capirotada, sometimes called sopa, is northern New Mexico’s version of bread pudding. The roots of the preparation go back hundreds of years to Spain, where it was often a savory dish. It’s a traditional Mexican bread pudding made with bolillo, cinnamon, piloncillo syrup, cheese, nuts, and dried fruits, perfect for dessert. Adapted from Tasting New Mexico: Recipes Celebrating 100 Years of Distinctive Home Cooking by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

History of The Capirotada 

The word “capirotada” comes from the name of a tall, conical hat that monks wear in Spanish monasteries. The dessert has a special symbolic meaning around the Lenten season: bread for the body of Christ, syrup for the blood of Christ, cloves representing the nails of the cross, cinnamon sticks representing the wood of the cross, and then melted cheese representing the Holy Shroud. Its origins are debated, but everyone from the Aztecs to the Crypto-Jews of Mexico has made this dish at some point. Capirotada’s combination of pre-colonial Spanish and New World history also reflects the great state of New Mexico.

Capirotada Recipe

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• Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison

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Description

A delicious holiday dessert with a very long and complex history. It’s a tradition in New Mexico!

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Ingredients

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• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 3 ½ cups warm water
• 1 lb white bread torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup piñon (pine nuts) or chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 ½ cups (6 oz) shredded mild cheddar or Colby cheese
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground canela (Mexican cinnamon) or other cinnamon
• Softly whipped cream, optional

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow baking dish, about 9 x 12 inches.
2. Combine the raisins, apricots, brandy, and ½ cup of water in a bowl and set aside for the fruit to soften.
3. Place the bread on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly crisp and golden. Leave the oven on. Transfer the bread to the baking dish. Scatter with the pecans, cheese, dried fruit, and any remaining brandy mixture not absorbed by the fruit. Push everything down into the bread a bit.
4. Pour the sugar into a large, heavy saucepan. Warm it over medium-high heat until the sugar melts and turns deep golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even melting. Pour the remaining water over the molten sugar, standing back from the pan to avoid the steam that will rise as the water hits the sugar. The syrup mixture will partially solidify. Continue cooking until it becomes liquid again, stirring occasionally. Add the butter, vanilla, and cinnamon to the syrup. Pour the syrup slowly over the bread mixture. It should be about level with the top of the bread. If any bread pieces aren’t coated, push them into the syrup.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the syrup has been absorbed, the cheese has melted, and some of the top bits are crusty. Serve the capirotada, topped with whipped cream if you like.

Recipe by Cheryl Alters Jamison / Photography by Douglas Merriam

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