Torrijas (Spanish French Toast)

Step 1

Infuse the milk: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk, honey, sugar, cinnamon stick, and citrus peels to a simmer. Once simmering, take the pan off the heat and let cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes. Stir the milk occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Remove the cinnamon stick and citrus peels.

Step 2

Soak the bread: Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in a large, shallow dish or a small, rimmed sheet pan. Pour the cooled milk over the bread slices. Let rest until the bread has soaked up all of the milk, about 30 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar topping: Combine the sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.

Step 4

When the bread has soaked for 30 minutes, get ready to cook. Line a large plate with paper towels. Beat the eggs in a wide, shallow bowl. In a large nonstick pan over medium heat, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan (about 2 to 3 tablespoons).

Step 5

Coat and cook the torrijas. Working with one slice of bread at a time, gently remove the bread from the dish and dip both sides in the beaten egg. Work carefully as the soaked bread might break apart easily. Then, place it in the hot oil to fry. Cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden. Transfer to the lined plate. Continue with the remaining slices of bread, coating and fry one or two slices at a time depending on the size of the pan.

Step 6

Serve. Serve the torrijas warm with a generous sprinkling of the cinnamon sugar and/or a drizzle of honey, if you’d like.