Torejas(Cuban-Version of French Toast)

These used to be served as a dessert en Noche Buena(Good Night)when the families would gather together and then go to La Misa del Gallo- Midnight Mass)Before Castro. A lot of the Cubans brought that tradition to Miami, where they could celebrate without the fear of being arrested for practicing Catholicism and eating food that was bought on the black market. This is the way the Cubans of before have adapted this recipe to the convenience of their cooking here in Miami or the USA and then I took some poetic license, as well.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 6-8 slices

Ingredients

• 1  loaf  Cuban bread or 1  loaf French baguettes or 1  loaf  Italian bread
• 4  eggs, beaten
• 2  teaspoons dark rum (or other liqueur) or 2  teaspoons Amaretto (or other liqueur)
• 6  ounces milk
• 6  ounces heavy cream
• 1  teaspoon  almond extract or 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar (or less)
•  coarsely chopped  almonds (or some other nuts to compliment your dish, optional) (optional) or   chopped  macadamia nuts, to taste (or some other nuts to compliment your dish) (optional)

Directions

1. Make sure the bread is stale, leave it out on a cookie sheet, to dry the day before.
2. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease baking sheet; set aside.
3. In medium-sized bowl; whisk ingredients to blend and then fold in almonds or other nuts, if using.
4. Dip or soak each slice well in egg/milk mixture. Soak throughly, about 5 minutes. Shake off excess liquid and then lay on cookies sheet.
5. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10-14 minutes, until medium golden brown and crusty on the top.(But still moist and custard-like in the middle).
6. Serve warm with powdered sugar, sugar syrup, fruit syrup or maple syrup(tastes awesome with pineapple preserves with chopped macadamia nuts instead of almonds. Also, banana liqueur with banana slices & nuts).
7. Enjoy, as you watch the scale's numbers increase!