For our last recipe before Christmas, we decided to share with you, a delicious and traditional Christmas sweet from our country, the Portuguese French Toast, rabanadas as we call it.
During Christmas, you can easily find dozens of varieties throughout Portugal. Rabanadas are so popular and so traditional for Christmas, that during the holidays you can buy special bread—pan de rabanada—just for making them. In the winter months, it also becomes available at many Cafés, just ask the staff for one Rabanada.
Portuguese French Toast differ from American French toast in several ways. Both are a great way to use up stale bread, but rabanadas are commonly enjoyed as a dessert or afternoon treat, rather than as a breakfast food.
500 g (2 cups) milk
166 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) water
1 cinnamon stick
60 g (4 tablespoons) sugar
2 g (1/4 teaspoon) fine sea salt
2 lemon peels
1/2 loaf of bread (about 10 slices)
2 eggs
vegetable oil, for frying
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar, for coating
5 g (1 1/2 teaspoon) powdered cinnamon, for coating
500 ml (2 cups) port wine
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 orange, sliced
1 clementine, sliced
2 cloves
1 star anise
75 g (5 tablespoons sugar)