Torrejas De Coco
"Coconut Torrejas"
From the treasured pages of Mexican Cooking Manuscripts: A Family Collection
Unknown Author
Torrejas De Coco
"Se clarifican dos libras de azucar se ponen de buen punto, se le echa un coco rayado tres cuartillos de leche, una onza de harina se pone al fuego y ya que hace ojos, se le echa medio pocillo de vino blanco y un polvo de Canela; se le da punto de Cajeta, se bana una mesa fria y se van reyenando. Con esta pasta se meten en huevo batido se van friendo en Mantequilla se echan en la miel; y ya que esten bien se embadunan, se les echa una Cucharada de agua de azahar y dos de anis; se adornan con Piñones, pasas, almendras, anisitos de Colores y polvo de Canela."
English Translation
"Two pounds of sugar are clarified and brought to the right point. Add one grated coconut, three quarts of milk, and one ounce of flour. Put it on the fire, and once it bubbles, add half a small cup of white wine and a pinch of cinnamon. Bring it to the consistency of cajeta (thick caramel), pour it over a cold table, and start filling them. With this paste, coat pieces in beaten egg, fry them in butter, and dip them in syrup. Once well soaked, brush them, add a tablespoon of orange blossom water and two of anise. Garnish with pine nuts, raisins, almonds, colored anise sprinkles, and a dusting of cinnamon."
Note on the Original Text
Early 20th-century recipes like this one assumed basic kitchen skills and often omitted precise measurements or times, trusting the cook’s judgment to spot when a syrup was 'de buen punto' or a paste 'hace ojos'. The style is elliptical; quantities are generous but sometimes vague, techniques are referenced poetically ('se embadunan'), and ingredients like 'anisitos de colores' refer to then-popular candies. Spellings and flourishes reflect the period's regional Spanish orthography. Translating these directions requires both culinary intuition and a sense of adventure—very much in the spirit of historical home cooking!
Title
Mexican Cooking Manuscripts: A Family Collection (1900)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1900
Publisher
Unknown
Background
Gracefully penned in elegant calligraphy, this volume brings together four cherished family manuscripts from Toluca, Mexico, offering a sumptuous selection of traditional recipes. Delight in the culinary heritage of Mole Poblano, Tapado de nopales, and more, all served with a generous dash of ancestral flavor and timeless technique.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This evocative recipe for 'Torrejas de Coco' comes from a cherished family manuscript originating in Toluca, Mexico, around 1905. At the turn of the century, Mexican home cooks were mixing European pastry traditions with native ingredients such as coconut, creating sophisticated sweets for festive gatherings. The recipe reflects a period when handwritten cookbooks were treasured and knowledge was passed down through calligraphy and celebration. These confectioned torrejas blur the line between candy and fritter, highlighting the cosmopolitan influences of the era, from Iberian liqueurs to the French passion for patisserie, with a Mexican heart: coconut, festive flavors and exuberant finishing touches.
Cooks at the time would use a wide copper or heavy iron pot for clarifying sugar and cooking down the coconut mixture. A sturdy metal or marble slab, chilled and greased, served for spreading and shaping the paste. Beaten eggs would be whipped by hand with a fork or small whisk, and butter would be clarified in a metal frying pan over a wood or charcoal stove. Simple colanders, mortars, and wooden spoons made up the rest of the essential toolkit. Decorating would be done by hand, using tiny paper cones or just nimble fingers.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Servings
16
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- A splash (about 1/4 cup) water (for the sugar)
- 1 whole fresh coconut, finely shredded (about 12 ounces flesh)
- 3 1/8 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (about 2 level tablespoons)
- 2 3/4 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (for frying)
- For the syrup: 1 1/2 cups sugar + 7/8 cup water, boiled to light thread
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- 2 tablespoons anise liqueur, or 1 teaspoon anise extract diluted in water
- 1 ounce pine nuts
- 1 ounce raisins
- 1 ounce blanched almonds, chopped
- Colored sugar pearls or nonpareils (as substitute for "anisitos de colores")
- Additional ground cinnamon, for dusting
Instructions
- Begin by clarifying 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar in a saucepan with a small splash of water (about 1/4 cup).
- Cook to the thread stage (230°F), then add 1 whole fresh coconut, finely shredded (about 12 ounces), along with 3 1/8 cups whole milk and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
- Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and bubbles (‘hace ojos’ - forms little craters), then add 2 3/4 tablespoons dry white wine and a generous pinch of ground cinnamon.
- Cook until it reaches a thick, spreadable consistency, similar to thick dulce de leche or cajeta.
- Pour the mixture onto a cold, buttered marble or metal surface and allow it to set slightly.
- Once firm enough to handle, shape the mixture into small rounds or ovals (‘torrejas’).
- Dip each piece into beaten egg.
- Heat a frying pan with 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter and fry each torreja until golden brown on both sides.
- Once fried, transfer the torrejas to a pot of warm sugar syrup (miel) and allow them to soak briefly.
- Finish by brushing the torrejas with more syrup, then sprinkle over 1 tablespoon orange blossom water and 2 tablespoons anise liqueur (or 1 teaspoon anise extract with water) while still warm.
- Garnish with pine nuts, raisins, blanched almonds, colored sugar pearls (for anisitos de colores), and a dusting of ground cinnamon.
Estimated Calories
420 per serving
Cooking Estimates
This recipe takes about 45 minutes to cook and 30 minutes to prepare ingredients and workspace. Each serving contains about 420 calories. The recipe makes about 16 torrejas, so you can share this treat with family and friends.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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