CHRISTMAS CAPIROTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING) WITH RICH VEGAN CREAM FROM WORLD VEGAN FEAST

Something a little different for a Christmas dessert

I want to wish Merry Christmas to all of my readers, who keep me inspired.  Here's one more holiday recipe I 'd like to share from "World Vegan Feast".

This inviting and unusual bread pudding (from my book "World Vegan Feast"), which is traditionally prepared during Lent in Mexico, has its roots in old Spanish cookery. It is open to many interpretations and there are myriad recipes for it. Capirotada is quite different from what most North Americans think of as bread pudding-- it contains no milk or eggs.  Instead, the liquid is a sweet syrup mixed with mild cheese, making it an easy candidate for converting to a vegan version. My rather unorthodox Christmas version utilizes some very Canadian, as well as vegan, ingredients, such as maple syrup instead of the sugar syrup made from piloncillo (the traditional Mexican brown sugar sold in cones),  dried cranberries instead of raisins, vegan mozzarella, and pecans instead of the usual peanuts and/or almonds. 

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S CHRISTMAS CAPIROTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING) WITH RICH VEGAN CREAM
From my book “World Vegan Feast” © Bryanna Clark Grogan 2011

Serves 8

6 cups 1/2-inch fresh bread cubes (use a baguette or light sandwich bread)

1 tablespoon melted vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free vegan Buttah)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups maple syrup

1/2 cup water

8 ounces vegan white cheese, diced small or shredded

1 tablespoon grated organic orange zest

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup chopped lightly-toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the bread cubes on two 10 x 15-inch baking sheets and toast them for 10 minutes. Toss the bread cubes with the melted vegan butter and cinnamon. Combine them with the remaining ingredients, saving 1/4 cup of the pecans to sprinkle on top.

                                                                 Toasted bread cubes

Lots of orange zest!

                                                       Vegan cheese mixed into the pudding

Spread the mixture into an oiled 2-quart round casserole. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top. Bake the casserole, covered, for 35 minutes. Let the pudding stand, covered, for about 15 minutes before serving with your favorite commercial vegan creamer or Rich Vegan Cream (recipe below) or your favorite vanilla nondairy “ice cream”.

BRYANNA’S RICH VEGAN CREAM

Makes 1 generous cup

1 cup rich, full-fat soy milk or nut milk

5 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup neutral-tasting vegetable oil

Mix the milk, sugar and vanilla in a blender. With machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream. When all the oil is added, the milk will have thickened up a little. Pour the mixture into a container and refrigerate.

Happy Holidays!