Wine French Toast and Easter Desserts

Torrijas: The most anticipated Easter dessert

There are few dishes in Spanish gastronomy that generate as much consensus as torrijas. It doesn't matter if you're from a town or a city, from the north or the south: when Easter arrives, torrijas appear on almost every table. It's one of those desserts that goes beyond the recipe, because it carries the memory of generations.

Its origin is older than many people imagine. There are documented references to similar preparations in 15th-century cookbooks, and they became popular during Lent as a practical way to use up day-old bread that was starting to go stale. In that time of meat abstinence, bread soaked in milk or wine and fried in oil was an affordable and tasty caloric source. What began as a subsistence resource gradually became one of the sweet emblems of Spanish Holy Week.

Today, the tradition remains alive, and not only in homes. Bakeries and restaurants throughout the country dedicate this time to making artisan torrijas, some with very creative interpretations. But the old recipe, the one Grandma used to make at home, remains the most heartwarming.

At Bacalalo, we've been in Barcelona's Mercat del Ninot since 1990, and we know well how the Easter table is organized in the homes of our customers. Cod is the undisputed savory protagonist, but desserts are what conclude the celebration. If you're looking for ideas for the savory part, we recommend our complete guide to the Easter cod menu and our cod recipes for Easter 2026.

Now let's move on to the sweet part. We start with the queen of all versions: wine torrijas.

Sweet wine torrijas: classic Andalusian recipe step-by-step

Wine torrijas are the oldest version and, for many palates, the most delicious. The wine provides flavor depth, a hint of tannins that balances the sugar, and a darker, more appetizing color than the milk version. The recipe presented here is the classic Andalusian one, using sweet wine like Málaga or Pedro Ximénez, although it works equally well with a moscatel or a mild oloroso.

Ingredients (for 8-10 torrijas)

• 1 loaf of day-old bread (350-400 g), ideally country bread or bolla, with a thin crust
• 500 ml sweet wine (Málaga, Pedro Ximénez, or moscatel type)
• 100 ml water
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• Extra virgin olive oil for frying (mild, 0.4°)
• 150 g white or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• The peel of half a lemon (without the white pith)
• The peel of half an orange (optional, adds aroma)

Step 1: Prepare the bread (30 minutes in advance)

The bread is the foundation. It should be at least one day old, preferably two. Freshly baked bread absorbs too much liquid and falls apart when fried. The crumb needs to be dense but not compact: country bread or a round loaf is ideal. Baguette loaves don't work well because the crumb is too airy and breaks easily.

Slice the bread into pieces between 2.5 and 3 centimeters thick. If you slice them thinner, they will break when soaked; if you slice them thicker, the inside will remain dry. Once sliced, let them rest on a tray without stacking.

Step 2: Prepare the flavored wine

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweet wine with the water, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and orange peel. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes without boiling (around 70-75 °C). The goal is for the wine to absorb the aromas of cinnamon and citrus, and to slightly reduce the alcohol content. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. The soaking liquid should be lukewarm, never hot, to avoid cooking the bread.

Step 3: Soak the bread

Pour the flavored wine into a deep dish. Carefully place the bread slices into the liquid. Let them soak for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. The bread needs to absorb the liquid well but not disintegrate: when you lift it with a slotted spoon, it should be soaked but maintain its shape. If the bread is very compact, you can leave it for up to 8 minutes per side. If it's more porous, 2-3 minutes are sufficient.

This step is critical. Many torrijas fail here: if not soaked enough, they remain dry; if soaked too much, they fall apart in the pan.

Step 4: Coat in egg

Beat the 3 eggs in a deep dish with a pinch of salt. Pass each soaked slice through the beaten egg, covering all sides well. Do this gently, using two spatulas or a wide slotted spoon to avoid breaking the bread.

Step 5: Fry

Heat mild olive oil in a large frying pan or a shallow pot. The amount of oil needs to be generous: at least 2 centimeters deep. The ideal temperature is between 170 and 180 °C. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a small piece of crumb into the oil: if it bubbles immediately but doesn't burn, the oil is at the right temperature.

Fry the torrijas 2 by 2 or 3 by 3, without crowding them. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and with a light crust. Remove them with a slotted spoon and let them drain on absorbent paper.

Step 6: Final finish

Mix the sugar with the ground cinnamon in a plate. While the torrijas are still warm, roll them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture until well coated on all sides. Place them on a platter and let them cool at room temperature.

Wine torrijas are delicious freshly made, but they improve with resting. If you prepare them the night before and store them covered in the refrigerator, they will be at their optimal point the next day: the sugar will have dissolved slightly, the crumb will be well impregnated, and the wine flavor will have settled.

Milk torrijas: the Castilian version

If wine torrijas are the emblem of the south, milk torrijas are the most widespread version in central and northern Spain. Softer, creamier, with an irresistible vanilla and cinnamon flavor. They are also the favorite version for children and for those who prefer a less intense-flavored dessert.

Ingredients (for 8-10 torrijas)

• 1 loaf of day-old bread (350-400 g)
• 700 ml whole milk
• 100 g sugar for the milk
• 1 cinnamon stick
• The peel of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean)
• 3 large eggs
• Mild olive oil for frying
• Sugar and ground cinnamon for coating

Preparation

Heat the milk with the sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and vanilla over medium heat. When it starts to steam (without boiling), remove from heat, cover, and let infuse for 15 minutes. Strain and let cool until it reaches about 40-50 °C.

Slice the bread the same way as in the wine recipe: 2.5 to 3 cm thick slices. Submerge each slice in the infused milk and let it absorb well: between 3 and 6 minutes per side depending on the type of bread. Milk penetrates more slowly than wine, so you'll need a little more patience.

The coating and frying process is identical to the wine version. The difference is in the result: milk torrijas are paler on the outside, whiter on the inside, and have a softer, creamier texture. They are also finished with sugar and cinnamon, although it's also classic to serve them with honey on top.

Baked torrijas: light, no-fry version

Frying is part of the torrija's identity, but for those who prefer to reduce fats or simply don't want to tend to a frying pan, the baked version is a real and surprisingly good alternative. They are not exactly the same, but they are delicious and have a different texture: more spongy, less crispy, more similar to an American french toast.

Ingredients (for 8 torrijas)

• 8 slices of country bread (2.5 cm thick)
• 400 ml whole milk or sweet wine (or a mixture of both)
• 2 eggs
• 80 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• The peel of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (to grease the tray)

Preparation

Prepare the soaking liquid as in the previous versions. Soak the bread well and pass it through the beaten egg. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and grease with melted butter. Place the torrijas without touching each other.

Bake at 200 °C with heat from above and below for 15 minutes. Flip the torrijas and continue baking for another 10 minutes until golden. Remove them from the oven, roll them in sugar and cinnamon while warm, and serve.

The result is a torrija with a slightly crispy exterior, a spongy interior, and much less fat than the fried version. Ideal for those with dietary restrictions or who simply prefer a lighter version.

Tips for perfect torrijas

After years of seeing recipes and talking to chefs from all over Spain, these are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them:

The bread, essential

• Bread at least 24 hours old. Fresh bread has too much internal moisture and won't hold up to soaking. Stale bread absorbs without breaking apart.
• Minimum thickness of 2.5 cm. Below this, the center gets overly soaked and the torrija loses structure. Above 3.5 cm, the inside remains dry.
• Dense crumb bread. Avoid baguettes, ciabattas, or breads with large holes. Country bread, bolla, or artisanal compact-crumb sandwich bread are the best.

The soaking, the most delicate moment

• Lukewarm temperature, never hot. Hot liquid begins to cook the crumb and weakens it. Between 40 and 55 °C is the ideal temperature for the bread to absorb without breaking.
• Control the time. Take out a slice and check: if it maintains its shape when lifted but yields slightly when pressed in the center, it's ready. If it bends or breaks, you've waited too long.
• Use a large slotted spoon. Handling soaked bread with a small spoon is a recipe for disaster. A wide slotted spoon distributes the weight and prevents the slice from breaking.

Frying, the critical point

• Constant temperature: 170-180 °C. Below this, the torrija absorbs oil and becomes greasy. Above this, the exterior burns before the interior heats through.
• Don't put too many in at once. Each torrija lowers the oil temperature. With 2-3 per batch, the oil recovers between frying sessions.
• Clean oil. Strain the oil between batches to remove burnt egg residue that makes it bitter.
• Drain well. Leave the torrijas on absorbent paper for at least 2 minutes before coating them in sugar.

Sugar and cinnamon

• Coat while warm. Sugar adheres much better when the torrija is warm. If you wait for them to cool, the sugar slips off and doesn't coat well.
• Ratio: 3 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon. More cinnamon can make it bitter; less, loses the characteristic aroma.

Resting improves everything

Torrijas are good freshly made, but they reach their peak between 4 and 12 hours after preparation. The sugar dissolves slightly with the moisture from the bread, the flavors integrate, and the texture settles. If you make them the night before for midday the next day, they will be at their best.

Andalusian pestiños: the other classic

If torrijas are the most universal Spanish Easter dessert, pestiños are their perfect complement in Andalusia. They are fritters made from oil and anise dough, bathed in honey or sugar, with an aroma that makes them impossible to resist. They have been made since the Middle Ages and are part of the Spanish conventual recipe book.

Ingredients (for about 30 pestiños)

• 500 g wheat flour (medium strength)
• 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 50 ml sweet anise liqueur (Cazalla or similar)
• The peel of one lemon and one orange
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (ajonjolí)
• 1 teaspoon aniseed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Oil for frying
• 200 g honey (or sugar and cinnamon for coating)

Preparation

Heat the oil with the lemon and orange peels, sesame, and aniseed over medium heat for 5 minutes. Strain and let cool. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the cinnamon. Add the flavored oil, white wine, and sweet anise liqueur. Knead for 8-10 minutes until you obtain a smooth, manageable dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes covered with a cloth.

Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to about 2-3 mm thick. Cut rectangles about 8x5 cm. Fold the ends towards the center and press to seal them, giving the pestiño an oval shape.

Fry in hot oil (180 °C) until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on absorbent paper. Bathe in warm honey slightly diluted with water, or roll them in sugar and cinnamon. Pestiños keep perfectly for several days in an airtight container.

Buñuelos de viento (wind fritters)

Buñuelos de viento are one of those preparations that seem simple but hide a small trap: the choux pastry, which if not made correctly, won't puff up. But when they turn out well, they are absolutely addictive: light, hollow inside, with a crispy exterior that, when bitten, yields to a golden, spongy nothingness. They can be filled with pastry cream, whipped cream, truffle, or eaten plain with powdered sugar.

Ingredients (for about 25-30 buñuelos)

• 250 ml water
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 150 g wheat flour (sifted)
• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• Zest of half a lemon
• Sunflower oil for frying
• Icing sugar for dusting

Preparation

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil with butter, sugar, and salt. When it boils, remove from heat and add all the sifted flour at once. Stir vigorously with a spatula until the dough separates from the sides and forms a homogeneous ball. Return to low heat and dry the dough for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, fully incorporating each one before adding the next. The final dough should be smooth, shiny, and fall from the spatula forming a V. If it falls in a lump, it needs another egg; if it falls in a continuous stream, it has too much.

Heat the oil to 170 °C. With two spoons or a piping bag, form walnut-sized portions and drop them into the oil. Fry for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, turning with a slotted spoon, until golden brown and puffed. Do not raise the heat too much: at high temperatures, they puff up quickly but remain raw inside.

Drain on absorbent paper and dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately or fill with pastry cream using a piping bag with a fine nozzle.

Leche frita (Fried Milk)

Leche frita is one of the most elegant desserts of Spanish Holy Week, especially popular in the north and in Castilla. The paradox of its name is what makes it special: it is milk, liquid by nature, which thanks to cornstarch becomes a solid cream that can be cut, coated, and fried. The result is a crispy exterior that encloses a soft, creamy interior flavored with cinnamon and lemon.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• 500 ml whole milk
• 80 g sugar
• 60 g cornstarch (corn flour)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cinnamon stick
• The peel of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For coating: 1 beaten egg, flour, and fine breadcrumbs
• Sunflower oil for frying
• Sugar and cinnamon for finishing

Preparation

Reserve 100 ml of cold milk and dissolve the cornstarch in it, stirring well until there are no lumps. Heat the rest of the milk with the sugar, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and vanilla over medium heat without letting it boil. Strain and return to the saucepan.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the milk-cornstarch mixture and the yolks to the strained hot milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously for 8-10 minutes until the cream thickens considerably and detaches from the sides of the saucepan.

Pour the cream into a rectangular dish, previously moistened, about 2.5 cm high. Let cool at room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.

Once cold and solid, unmold and cut into square or rectangular portions. Coat each piece in flour, beaten egg, and then again in flour (or breadcrumbs for extra crispiness). Fry in sunflower oil at 180 °C for 2 minutes on each side. Drain and coat in sugar with cinnamon. Serve hot or warm.

Flores Manchegas (La Mancha Fritters)

Flores Manchegas are one of those sweets that surprise as much by their shape as by their taste. They are made with an iron mold in the shape of a flower, which is heated in oil and submerged in a thin liquid batter. The batter adheres to the hot mold and fries in a matter of seconds, resulting in a crispy and delicate flower that is sprinkled with icing sugar. They are essential in La Mancha during Holy Week, but also in Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura.

Ingredients (for about 20-25 flowers)

• 200 g wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 200 ml whole milk
• 50 ml sweet anise liqueur
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• Zest of one lemon
• Sunflower oil for frying (abundant)
• Icing sugar for decorating
• Flower mold for fritters (essential)

Preparation

Mix all the batter ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until you get a completely smooth batter, free of lumps, and with a consistency similar to that of a crêpe. Let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Heat abundant oil in a deep saucepan to 180 °C. Place the flower mold in the hot oil for at least 2 minutes, until it is very hot. This step is critical: if the mold is not hot enough, the batter will not adhere.

Remove the mold from the oil and immediately dip it into the cold batter almost to the edge (without covering the edge of the mold so the flower can detach). Reinsert the mold into the hot oil. In 30-60 seconds, the batter will brown and detach from the mold on its own. Help with a slotted spoon if necessary. Fry for another 30 seconds until golden and crispy. Drain on absorbent paper.

Sprinkle generously with icing sugar before serving. The flowers stay crispy for 2-3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Dessert pairing with wines and cavas

Holy Week desserts, rich in sugar, cinnamon, and oil, call for equally good companions. Here are the best pairings for each preparation:

With sweet wine torrijas

The logic here is simple: if you made the torrija with sweet wine, serve it with the same wine. A well-chilled Pedro Ximénez (between 10 and 12 °C) accompanies the torrija without competing with it, reinforcing the same flavors of dried fruit and caramel that the wine has already imparted to the bread. A Muscat of Alexandria also works very well.

With milk torrijas

The milk version has a milder flavor that calls for something with bubbles to cleanse the palate. A brut nature or extra brut cava is the perfect accompaniment: the acidity and effervescence of the cava contrast with the creaminess of the milk torrija and refresh between bites.

For this pairing, we recommend Cava Verema de Canals & Munné (€12.50), a quality cava with good acidity, notes of pastry and white fruit that pairs perfectly with all the desserts in this guide. It is the smart choice for those who want to elevate their Holy Week meal without complicating things.

With pestiños

Pestiños with honey call for something with moderate sweetness and a lot of aroma. A semi-dry oloroso or an amontillado from Jerez are the classic Andalusian choice. If you prefer something fresher, a semi-dry cava works surprisingly well with anise and honey.

With buñuelos de viento and leche frita

These two desserts, lighter and with creamy fillings, call for wines with acidity and some fruit. A rosé cava or a fresh Prosecco are good options. A white Rias Baixas with some residual sugar, like an Albariño aged on lees, also works very well.

With flores manchegas

The delicate and crispy flowers are lost with very expressive wines. A Manzanilla from Sanlúcar, very dry and saline, is the perfect contrast: it cleanses the palate after the sugar and adds complexity without overpowering it. If you prefer something with bubbles, a brut cava with good acidity also works.

And if you want to complete your Holy Week with traditional savory dishes, don't miss our guide on what to buy for Holy Week: seafood products and our article on Lent and cod, the fish that gives our store its name and which we have been selecting at Mercat del Ninot since 1990. For savory dishes, you will also find inspiration in our collections of desalted cod, ready to cook directly.

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