Layered Crispy French Toast Pudding

Today I invite you to take a new spin on torrijas, the pain perdu or the french toasts, which, although they are not the same, you could say they are half-sisters. We are not going to make them fried in oil or on the griddle with a knob of butter, but with this recipe of Crunchy French toast pudding, we will turn brioche bread into a true spectacle.

One could say that torrijas are a heritage of our cuisine, one of the most typical desserts of Lent. Traditionally made with stale bread soaked in milk, dipped in egg, fried in plenty of oil and sweetened with sugar and cinnamon, or with honey, they elicit sighs of admiration and are a real delicacy. Today, torrijas made to use up stale bread are no longer so common and brioche is even baked specifically to make them.

And with a brioche loaf we are going to make this pudding, presenting a different way to enjoy French toasts. I assure you the result is delicious, almost like eating tenderness by the spoonful. In addition, the crunchy layer suits it wonderfully, offering a very interesting contrast of textures. Take note of this recipe for Crunchy French toast pudding, because it is a real discovery.

Ingredients

For the pudding

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 cups heavy cream for whipping (35% fat)
  
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or maple syrup
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A brioche or a brioche loaf for torrijas

For the crunchy topping

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of salt

For the glaze

• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream for whipping (35% fat)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or maple syrup

Rectangular cast iron mold Le Creuset

Preparation

Pudding preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C.
2. Now you need to prepare the pudding, so start by melting the butter over low (medium-low) heat in a saucepan or in a small Shallow Casserole.
3. Add the sugar and half of the heavy cream (1 cup). Stir so everything mixes well and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved (about 3–4 minutes). Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool.
4. When the mixture has cooled, pour it into a large bowl and add the remaining cream (1 cup), the eggs, the cinnamon, the vanilla and half a teaspoon of salt. With a hand mixer, beat until the mixture is smooth and all ingredients are well combined.
   
5. Grease the rectangular cast iron mold Le Creuset with butter.
6. Cut the brioche into slices about 1.5 cm thick and cut each slice in half diagonally.
   
7. Dip a slice into the cream you prepared and have reserved in the bowl, and place it with the corner up in the baking dish.
   
8. Do the same with the rest of the slices, placing them alternating as seen in the video, so the corners are not all on the same side and the result is more attractive.
   

Crunchy topping preparation:

1. Melt the two tablespoons of butter over low heat (you can do this in the same saucepan).
   
2. Remove from the heat and add the flour, the brown sugar, the cinnamon and the salt. Stir well until everything is combined.
3. Crumble the resulting mixture over the bread slices, as if they were crumbs.
   
4. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake at 175 °C for 45 to 55 minutes, until you see it has puffed up and is golden.
5. Remove the pudding from the oven and let it cool on a rack, without removing it from the baking dish.
   

Glaze preparation:

1. In a small bowl put the icing sugar with the cream and the vanilla extract (or the maple syrup).
2. Whisk the ingredients until homogeneous, using a hand whisk.
3. Spread the glaze over the hot pudding and bring it to the table in the same baking dish, because it has a perfect presentation.