Spanish Fritters

This is a Victorian version of what most cooks now call French toast fingers, fried rather than griddled and finished with a sweet wine sauce. The quantities are left to the cook, so the only real judgement is in the soaking.

• The hinge: soak, but not to collapseThe bread must absorb the custard right through or the centres stay dry and floury, but crumb left too long turns to paste and breaks up in the fat. A minute or two a side for finger-thick pieces of open-textured bread is usually enough; press one gently and it should feel heavy and springy, not slack.
• "The crumb of a French roll"A crusty white roll with the crust pared away, leaving only the interior. A small baguette or a torpedo roll works; slightly stale bread holds its shape far better than fresh.
• Unstated proportionsUnstated proportions — beyond a single egg, no amounts are given. For four rolls' worth of crumb, about 1 cup of cream, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons sugar and a good grating each of nutmeg and cinnamon is a workable custard. Adjust to make just enough to soak the bread rather than drown it.
• "Pounded cinnamon"Cinnamon bark crushed in a mortar. Ground cinnamon is the direct substitute, but use it sparingly — modern pre-ground spice is finer and tastes stronger by volume than freshly pounded bark.
• Frying fat and heatFrying fat and heat — the recipe says only 'fry'; clarified butter or lard, shallow, in a heavy pan would suit. Aim for around 350–360F: hotter and the sugared custard scorches before the inside sets, cooler and the fritters drink fat. Whole butter alone will brown too fast unless clarified.
• The wine, butter and sugar sauceThis is the standard Victorian sweet sauce: butter creamed with sugar and let down with a fortified wine — sherry, madeira or a sweet white — warmed gently so it emulsifies rather than splits. Do not boil it. Sherry, madeira and the like are not cooked off here, so this is not a dish for anyone avoiding alcohol.
• Yield and servingYield and serving — the recipe gives no quantities; on the four-roll estimate above, roughly 16 fingers, enough for four as a dessert. Fry in batches, drain on paper, and serve at once, as the pieces toughen as they cool.