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Bocado de Reina or Guatemalan bread pudding is a scrumptious cake-like dessert constituted of leftover bread, milk, eggs and cinnamon.
One in every of Guatemala’s best desserts, my model of this conventional recipe provides fruit for further color.
But it surely’s simply as tasty served plain, with whipped cream or syrup.


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What’s Bocado de Reina?
Bocado de Reina is a conventional Guatemalan bread pudding constituted of day-old bread soaked in a candy, spiced eggy custard, then baked till golden and tender. It’s simple, economical and extremely comforting.
The title interprets to a “chunk match for a queen or meals match for a queen” which means it’s an effective way to show easy elements right into a particular dessert.
Some conventional Bocado de Reina recipes mix the bread into nice crumbs for a extra cake-like texture. However my Guatemalan mother-in-law merely tears leftover bread into chunks earlier than combining it with the custard.
I really like the way it seems golden and agency on high with a barely springy center in order that’s the way in which I make it too.
At our ranch in jap Guatemala, we prefer to serve this dessert drizzled with native honey. Different occasions it’s topped with ice cream or whipped cream.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s extremely simple to make. You may prep this make-ahead dessert the evening earlier than, let it chill within the fridge, and bake it the subsequent day.
- Wealthy and ethereal, this stunning dish is ideal for a corporation brunch or special day.
- It’s an effective way to make use of up day-old bread as a substitute of letting it go to waste!
- Not like difficult Guatemalan desserts reminiscent of buñuelos or molletes, it doesn’t require deep frying or particular syrups.
Substances You’ll Want
Scroll right down to the recipe card for the total record of elements and technique.


Day-old pan dulce, challah or brioche bread: The kind of bread you employ for bocado de reina is tremendous vital because it varieties the bottom and construction of the dessert. I like to make use of day-old pan dulce (challah or brioche bread) because it’s barely candy and has a smooth texture. However you need to use French rolls.
🌟 Professional Tip: Be certain the bread is stale so the dish doesn’t end up soggy.
Massive Eggs: Room temperature eggs make the pudding fluffy plus they comprise plenty of vitamins.
Milk and Cream: Milk and cream are soaked up by the bread so as to add richness and depth.
Vanilla and Cinnamon: Each are essential for the distinct aroma and flavour. I exploit actual vanilla relatively than synthetic vanilla.
Maple Syrup (or Rum): Add pure sweetness. Amber maple syrup and even darkish rum.
Orange Zest: Grated orange zest bumps up the aroma, provides freshness and intensifies the flavours of the tropical fruits.
Melted Butter: Butter provides a little bit of fats for raise and to maintain all the things moist whereas baking.
Mango, Kiwi and/or Strawberries: Recent or frozen each work properly. Simply thaw earlier than utilizing if frozen.
Step By Step Directions
Scroll right down to the recipe card for actual portions and technique.
1. Brush the within of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with one-half the melted butter. For finest outcomes use an oval or rectangular dish made from stoneware, pottery, or Corningware relatively than clear glass or steel.
2. Whisk the eggs in a big bowl till frothy. Add the milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and whisk once more till utterly mixed.


3. Add the cubes of bread to the bowl of egg and milk and blend till mixed. Or, course of the bread into crumbs in the event you favor the extra conventional Guatemalan model. Let sit for quarter-hour within the fridge.
4. Unfold half the soaked bread on the underside of the greased baking dish. Distribute and press down frivolously on the bread with a fork so the bread utterly covers the floor of the baking dish.


5. Sprinkle half of the mango chunks over the floor of the bread.
6. Prime with remaining bread and press down frivolously so the floor is even. Will probably be bumpy.


Should you’re making it forward, cease at this level. Cowl the casserole with plastic wrap and retailer within the fridge in a single day.
7. Brush high with remaining butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.


8. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 30 – 40 minutes or till agency to the contact and frivolously browned. Examine after 20 minutes and canopy frivolously with foil if browning too rapidly.
9. Cool for five minutes, organize remaining fruit together with the mango, sliced kiwi, and strawberries on high. Mud with confectioner’s sugar if desired.
10. Serve with syrup or whipped cream.


Variations
- Go conventional by leaving off the fruit and serving it plain with a lightweight cinnamon syrup or a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk.
- For a cake-like texture, mix the bread into nice items earlier than soaking.
- Add sliced bananas or pineapple on high for a tropical twist.
- Combine in chopped walnuts or almonds, or sprinkle them on high for a little bit crunch.
- Stir in raisins or chopped dates for added sweetness and texture.
- For a richer model, add chocolate chips or swirl in some dulce de leche.
- Use almond milk or coconut milk to make it dairy-free. The flavour modifications barely, but it surely nonetheless tastes wonderful.
Knowledgeable Suggestions
- Soaking the bread in a single day will permit the eggs and milk to soak into the bread absolutely. But it surely’s simply as scrumptious if it’s made the identical day.
- Urgent the bread down with a fork will be certain that the egg combination covers the whole floor of the dish.
- Use stale bread so your dish doesn’t end up soggy.
- If it begins browning quick, cowl it loosely with foil so as to bake it with out burning.
Serving Recommendations


Storing and Freezing
- You may retailer bocado de reina within the fridge for 2 or three days and reheat it within the microwave.
- Retailer baked particular person servings for as much as six months in sealed freezer baggage. Simply thaw within the fridge and reheat within the microwave earlier than topping with fruit.
- You can too make the bottom of this pudding forward and freeze it earlier than baking. Then simply thaw in a single day within the fridge and reheat in a microwave or oven (coated) earlier than topping with fruit.
Love this recipe? Please go away a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟score within the recipe card under & a remark in the event you REALLY prefer it. Thanks!
Recipe
Bocado de Reina (Guatemalan Bread Pudding)
Bocado de Reina is a simple, conventional Guatemalan dessert made from leftover bread, milk, eggs and cinnamon. Customise it with fruit, nuts or dulce de leche or serve it plain with ice cream.
Servings: 8 individuals
Energy: 975kcal
Value: $10
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Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 F.
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Brush the within of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with one-half of the melted butter.
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Whisk the eggs in a big bowl till frothy. Add the milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and whisk once more till utterly mixed.
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Add the cubes of bread to the bowl of egg and milk and stir simply till mixed. Let sit for quarter-hour within the fridge. Whereas it is soaking, put together the fruit.
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Unfold half the bread on the underside of the greased baking dish. Distribute and press down frivolously on the bread with a fork so the bread utterly covers the floor of the baking dish.
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Sprinkle one cup of the mango chunks over the floor of the bread.
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Prime with remaining bread and press down frivolously so the floor is even. Will probably be bumpy. Should you’re making it the evening earlier than, cease at this stage. Cowl the casserole with plastic wrap and retailer within the fridge in a single day.
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Brush high with remaining butter. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
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Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or till agency to the contact and frivolously browned. Examine after 20 minutes and canopy frivolously with foil if it is browning too rapidly.
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Cool for five minutes. Then organize remaining mango, sliced kiwi, and strawberries on high, and mud with confectioner’s sugar if desired.
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Serve with syrup, ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- You may retailer it within the fridge for 2 or three days and reheat it within the microwave.
- Retailer baked particular person servings for as much as six months in sealed freezer baggage. Simply thaw within the fridge and reheat within the microwave earlier than topping with fruit.
- Make the bottom of this pudding forward and freeze it earlier than baking. Simply thaw in a single day within the fridge and reheat in a microwave or oven (coated) earlier than topping with fruit.
- A well-liked variation in Guatemala is to crumble the bread into very nice items relatively than chunks. That can produce a dessert that’s extra cake-like than pudding.
Dietary data is created by on-line calculators so the figures are solely estimates.
Vitamin
Energy: 975kcal | Carbohydrates: 103g | Protein: 26g | Fats: 53g | Saturated Fats: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 3g | Trans Fats: 0.2g | Ldl cholesterol: 432mg | Sodium: 929mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 2446IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 2mg
Different Latin American Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
Recipe FAQs
It’s a conventional Guatemalan dessert that’s much like a Latin American bread pudding because it’s made with leftover bread. But it surely’s extra cake-like in texture and sometimes comprises rum.
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