Orange Almond Capirotada is the best tradition

Orange Almond Capirotada is a new twist on an old traditional recipe. Lent is the time when we serve this sweet and savory bread pudding here along the border of south Texas. However, it seems that not that many people are making capirotada these days.

So, I thought I would come up with a recipe that held onto tradition while utilizing fresh modernized ingredients.

A fresh twist on an old tradition

The most traditional capirotada recipes are made with loaf sugar, called piloncillo, dried fruits, such as prunes and raisins, nuts, and savory cheese. Prunes and cheese is not a flavor combination that most people would consider a treat these days. But if you understand the history of the dish, you’ll understand the reason behind the odd ingredients.

During the pre-Easter season of Lent, meatless meals are part of Catholic tradition. Originally, capirotada was a savory dish made with meat and cheese, but during Lent, the meat was omitted. To make the dish more substantial, sweet syrup and fruit was added. Shelf stable ingredients such as dried fruits and nuts made capirotada easy to put together any time. And everyone is always happy to use up stale bread!

Technically, capirotada is not a dessert. For those of you that are having trouble wrapping your mind around a sweet main course, think of baked beans, barbecue sauce, noodles kugel or old-fashioned Jell-o salads. All of these are sweet dishes that are not desserts. It’s the same concept with capirotada.

Fresh oranges and sweet spices

In this recipe for Orange Almond Capirotada, I switched out the prunes for fresh oranges. Also, instead of conventional savory cheese, I used cream cheese for a creamier texture. I tried to keep the spirit of the traditional recipe alive while creating a “pruneless” recipes that would appeal to more modern palates. I loved this!

You can check out my more traditional recipe for Cherry Apricot Capirotada here. Again, no prunes in this recipe, but all of the fruit is dried fruit. Adding fresh oranges made all the difference in this funky old-fashioned bread pudding.