This version of Mexican bread pudding, or capirotada, layers toasted bread with warmly spiced piloncillo syrup, raisins, almonds, and cheese. The combination is sweet, savory, and aromatic, with cinnamon and cloves running through the softened bread.

Prep: About 20 minutes | Cook: About 55 minutes | Total: About 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 12 | Difficulty: Moderate (3 of 5) | Cost: Moderate (3 of 5) | Region: Mexico

Ingredients

• 5 cups water
• 3/4 pound piloncillo (Mexican unrefined cane sugar), coarsely chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 French baguette (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Place the water, chopped piloncillo, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the piloncillo has dissolved and the liquid has reduced slightly into a lightly syrupy consistency.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the baguette cubes with the melted butter and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Toast the bread cubes for about 10 minutes, turning once, until lightly crisp. Transfer the bread to a large mixing bowl and stir in the raisins and toasted almonds.
4. Strain the warm piloncillo syrup to remove the cinnamon stick and cloves. Gradually pour the syrup over the bread mixture, folding gently until the bread is moistened. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the liquid distributes evenly.
5. In a separate bowl, toss together the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
6. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. Spread half of the soaked bread mixture in the dish and sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Repeat with the remaining bread and cheeses.
7. Cover and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Uncover and bake about 5 minutes longer, until the cheese has melted and the pudding is heated through. If the top is not yet lightly golden, continue a few minutes while watching closely.
8. Let stand briefly before serving warm.

Cook’s notes

• This is a sweet-and-savory cheese variation of capirotada; regional and family preparations differ.
• Use piloncillo rather than substituting regular brown sugar if you want the characteristic flavor of the original preparation.
• Check the volume of soaked bread before using a 2-quart dish. If too full, divide between two baking dishes so the syrup cannot overflow.
• The mozzarella and Parmesan are part of this sweet-and-savory variation; other versions of capirotada may use different cheeses or omit them.