TORRIJAS

Usually, you’d use old bread to make torrijas – it’s what people used to eat when their bread went stale – but I like to use brioche, as it’s more buttery and naughtier.

The crema pastelera (custard cream) will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, so you could make it in advance – just whisk together to loosen before using. Any leftover crema pastelera can be used to fill doughnuts or to make custard tarts.

FOR 6

½ a loaf of brioche (250g)

250ml whole milk

250ml double cream

1 cinnamon stick

175g caster sugar

1 lemon

a knob of butter, to caramelize (25g-ish)

caster sugar, to sprinkle

For the almond cream

125g toasted almonds, coarsely ground

125g butter

20ml white rum

125g icing sugar

150g crema pastelera (see below)

For the crema pastelera

500ml whole milk

½ a cinnamon stick

½ a vanilla pod

4 gratings of lemon zest

5 egg yolks

100g caster sugar

60g cornflour

To make the crema pastelera, put the milk into a pan on a low heat and infuse with the cinnamon, vanilla and lemon zest until steaming – around 15–18 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to cool, then pass through a sieve to make a smooth mixture. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and creamy and the sugar has dissolved. Add the cornflour and mix again, making sure there are no lumps. Add the infused milk bit by bit, then return to the heat. Cook on a very low heat until it thickens to a béchamel consistency and holds together – around 15–20 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. Set aside.

Cut the crusts off the brioche, then cut into thick (3cm) slices and cut these in half – you should have 3cm x 3cm chunks. Infuse the milk and cream with the cinnamon, sugar and lemon – heat slightly to dissolve the sugar – then leave to cool. Put the bread into a container in a single layer and pour over the infused milk. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.

To make the almond cream, put the toasted almonds, butter and rum into a pan on a medium heat. When the rum starts to bubble, mix in the icing sugar. Leave to cool slightly, then fold in 150g of the crema pastelera.

Put the butter into a frying pan on a medium heat. When it’s melted, sprinkle over a little sugar, then add the brioche to the pan (it should have soaked up the milk). Caramelize all sides of the brioche pieces until golden brown, sprinkling with more sugar as you turn them – they should be crispy outside but milky within.

Spoon the almond cream on to a plate, and put the torrijas on top – serve as is, or with ice cream.