CAPIROTADA (MEXICAN BREAD PUDDING)

Capirotada is a traditional Mexican dish, usually served as a dessert.

This dish is similar to a bread pudding.  It is made with pure brown sugar 

called Piloncillo, found in the specialty section, of your grocery store.

The sugar is cooked down to a syrup with added spices, such as star anise, 

cinnamon sticks and cloves.   The aroma from the syrup will drive you

INSANE!!!  You can add any variety of nuts, cheeses, fresh and dry fruits.                                           I have to admit, I had a hard time wrapping my head around the addition of 

Mexican cheese, but it definitely balanced the whole dish, making you say

WOW!!! 

INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf Three Bakers MaxOmega bread, cubed
1 stick butter, melted
3 cups water
2 piloncillo cones (8ozs) or 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
3 star anise spice
2 apples, peeled and sliced thin ( I used macintosh)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dry cherries
8 ozs Monterey Jack, shredded
vanilla ice cream


DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cube bread spread evenly on bottom of baking sheet.  Bake for 15-20 mins.
2.  Add bread to large bowl.  Drizzle butter over top of bread and toss well.  Put aside.
3.  In a medium size sauce pan, on high heat add water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and anise.  Cook to dissolve sugar and bring to boil, approx. 15 mins.  Reduce heat and simmer for additional 10-15 mins.  Strain and reserve liquid only.
4.  Add your apples, walnuts, cherries and cheese into separate bowls for easy assembling.
5.  Add approx 1/3 of bread at bottom of baking dish.  Add 1/2 of the apples spreading across top of bread.  Add 1/3 walnuts, cherries and cheese, spreading across top of apples.  Pour 1/3 of the syrup over top.  Let sit for 10 mins so bread can absorb liquid.  Add 1/3 of bread to top.  Add other 1/2 of apples.  Add 1/3 of walnuts, cherries and cheese.  Pour 1/3 syrup over top.  Let sit for additional 10 mins.  Add remaining bread, walnuts, cherries and cheese.  Pour remaining syrup over top and let sit for another 10 mins.  Bake covered for 15 mins.  Remove cover and bake another 10 mins.
Serve with vanilla ice cream, sprinkle of sugar/cinnamon and chopped walnuts.