A Slice of Heaven from Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen

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“Yay! Guava paste and cream cheese! You’re making Refugiados, aren’t you?”
“Good guess. No. I’m making This-Up-As-I-Go.” =D
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If there is anything we Cubans love more than our coladitos 12 times a day, it is a new use for guava. Preferably with cream cheese.
I decided to do a 4th of July brunch for my family.
I know. But there were so many hours in the day until the fireworks and everyone does a barbecue.
So I decided I’d make “torrejas.” (a type of Cuban French Toast)
And then I had A Thought.
What if I STUFFED them with guava and cream cheese?
Oh, Baby!
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Torrejas a lo Refugiado
4 egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
3 whole eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Guava paste cut into (about 20) slices
12 oz. tub of cream cheese
8 slices of thick bread. (I found something called Texas Toast – extra thick bread, but pan Cubano works well too)
Powdered sugar
1) Whisk together: the egg yolks, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs.
3) Spread each slice of bread generously with the cream cheese.
4) Place about 4 or 5 slices of the guava paste on the bread to make a sandwich.
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5) Heat the oil in a large frying pan or griddle. (use enough to just cover the surface)
6) Create an “assembly line” – quickly dip the sandwiches in the egg/milk/cinnamon mixture.
7) Take the soaked sandwich and dip into the beaten egg mixture.
8) Fry these in the hot oil – just until brown, turning once.
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9) Place the fried sandwiches in a baking dish and place in a hot oven 400° for about 10 minutes, or just until the guava melts.
10) Dust with powdered sugar and slice into quarters. (Or halves if you think you can handle it. =D)
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The Torrejas can be eaten hot or cold. I prefer the hot, fresh taste of melted guava. Serve with a sweet, hot cafecito.
“De aqui pa’l cielo.” 😉

13 thoughts on “A Slice of Heaven from Marta’s Cuban American Kitchen”

  1. OMG! Martica, te has vuelto loca! That must be 3000 calories. I just gained weight from looking at it! Pero que rrrrico it looks, que enfermedad!
    I never heard of this stuff, I thought you were going to talk about timba. That was one of my favorite desserts as a kid. And it was perfect for my mom, no baking, no cooking no fuss. Who wants to get complicada after making potage every day for my Cubichon dad! But these special torrejas? Ay, Ay, Ay, I’m so making them. THANKS!

  2. OMG, Marta you are my HERO!!!! I am going right now to buy the ingredients to make this delicious recipe. You have combined two of my favorite things…torrejas and timba. Jewbana, you are not alone, I think I just gained five pounds by just looking at the picture!

  3. Get away from me Satan. ……
    these are just plain, sinful, they should be forbidden.
    If you do not hear from me again, it would be
    because I’m in a diabetic comma.
    do not cry for me ….. it will be a delicious death.

  4. That version of torrejas sounds and looks delicious, but one thing is missing–unless I missed it in the recipe. Torrejas are served with almíbar, a thick type of “simple syrup” (sugar dissolved in water over a low flame until thickened). This is in place of the standard maple syrup served with American-style “French Toast.”
    Now imagine the calories and visualize your arteries as you eat torrejas rellenas con guayaba y queso and doused with traditional almíbar…

  5. That was “almibar”–accent on the “i”–but the program doesn’t recognize that script and it comes out as an “A” with a squiggle…

  6. Marta,
    Come August, thanks to you, a group of 5 or 6 Cuban college kids in Missouri are going to be very, very fat. This is breakfast… then lunch… and then dinner.

  7. rfdz3-
    You are absolutely right. REGULAR torrejas are served with almibar. But, trust me, you don’t need it with these. The melted guava takes care of the juiciness usually provided by the syrup.
    Besides, I’m already feeling everyone’s extra weight on my shoulders. =D

  8. Marta, I keep giving my wife all the recipes you post. What’s amazing is that I remember eating all these things as a kid in Barranquilla, Colombia.
    Thank you and keep them coming!

  9. I should just tell you all, I was very grateful this 4th of July that my mom took her independence and ran with it to make these. THEY ARE AMAZING!!

  11. Those look so yummy! If only they were just 300 calories. The bread alone (for one) is 200! Add another ~80 calories for the egg and 20 for the whole milk. You don’t even have the oil, the guava and the cream cheese yet.
    But who cares?

  13. El Food Network debe llamarte para que tengas tu propio programa. Estoy segura que serias un palo. Esta receta es brutal. Me voy a desmayar.

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