Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead, El Dia de los Muertos, Cult of the Dead...Whatever you call November 2, it is almost upon us. Mexicans have a uniquely blended native and Hispanic culture. Tradition dictates a morning feast. Modern life has altered this to often mean a lunch or evening feast with loved ones who have gone through to the other side. You know what a feast means--Lots of cooking and lots of Mexican food! Following are the foods that you can't leave out of your Day of the Dead celebration. Pan de Muerto Pan de Muertos is a sweet anise loaf bread shaped into an oval loaf. The outside is often decorated with spare parts of dough to mimic skeletons or skull. Sweet Breads come in many varieties. Below are some of my favorites for the holiday. If you have a favorite I have missed, please let me know. From Cocina Mexicana (with photo) en espaņol. Calaveras de dulces or alfeniques
If you have bought your alfeniques and would like to add chocolate candy, the directions are simple. Melt your favorite chocolate in a double boiler. While chocolate looks best with the skulls. Use a funnel with a rounded stopper to pour your chocolate (or use a spoon, messier but less expensive) into shaped molds (found below). Wipe any drips off the edges of your molds and place in the freezer until the mold appears frosted and the candies hard. More time is better than less. Flip the mold over and tap lightly over a towel. Any candies that do not drop out easily should be placed in the freezer a little longer. SugarCraft sells various animal molds. Kornely's Crafts sells a complete line of Wilson products.
Interesting links from other RecipeGals:
Interesting links from around the Net:
Clipart from The Caverns. |
These sweet candies are a treat for children and adults today. Most
often found in the shape of skulls, they can also be formed into lambs, fruits, donkeys,
and doves for the more squeamish. Scenes created from these candies can be left on
the graves along with specially chosen flowers. The below links will help you if you
already know how to cook these egg white candies (most people buy them from San
Miguel de Allende, Guanajato and Toluca during the candy fair). Do you have a recipe
you would like to