Description
A delicious holiday dessert with a very long and complex history. It’s a tradition in New Mexico!
Ingredients
Scale
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow baking dish, about 9 x 12 inches.
- Combine the raisins, apricots, brandy, and ½ cup of water in a bowl and set aside for the fruit to soften.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.