Día de Muertos
Dear Friends of Punta Mita,
Día de Muertos, Day of the Dead encompasses two days November 1st.,
All Saint’s Day, and November 2nd., All Soul’s Day.
November 1st. honors all saints and people who died as
children and Nov 2nd. honors the souls of those who
died as adults.
If you are in Mexico any time from mid-October through the first
week of November, markets and shops are filled with special food
items for
Día de Muertos.
These include all forms
of
skeletons and other macabre toys; intricate tissue paper
cut-outs
called "papel picado"; elaborate wreaths and crosses decorated
with paper or silk flowers; candles and votive lights; and fresh
seasonal flowers, particularly "cempazuchiles" (marigolds) and
"barro de obispo" (cockscomb).
Among the edible goodies offered are skulls "calaveras", coffins
made from sugar, chocolate and special baked goods, notably sugary
sweet rolls called
Pan de Muerto that come in various sizes invariably topped with
bits of baked dough shaped like bones. All of these goodies are
destined for the buyer's "ofrenda de muertos" offering to the
dead.
At home members of the family might use these purchases to create
an "ofrenda" altar honoring their deceased relatives. These altars
are decorated with papel picado, candles, flowers, photographs of
the departed, candy skulls inscribed with the name of the
deceased,
and
a selection of his or her favorite foods and beverages. The latter
often include bottles of beer or tequila, cups of "atole" corn
gruel or coffee, and fresh water, as well as platters of rice,
beans, chicken or meat in a mole sauce, candied pumpkin or sweet
potatoes and Pan de Muerto.
Recipes-Recetas
Sugar Skulls
Alfeñique de Día de los Muertos
Ingredients Ingredientes
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tazas de azúcar glass
1 egg white 1 clara de huevo
1 tablespoon of light corn syrup 1 cucharada de miel de
maíz clara
1/2 teaspoon of
vanilla 1/2
cucharadita de vainilla
1/3 cup of corn
starch 1/3 de
taza de maicena
food coloring colorantes
vegetales
1 fine paintbrush
1 pincel fino
Preparation:
1. Sift powdered sugar.
2. Mix egg white, syrup and vanilla in a dry, clean bowl.
3. Mix sugar into wet mixture gradually.
4. Mix with fingers until the mixture forms a ball.
5. Sprinkle cornstarch on table or board.
6. Put the mixture on the table and shape into smooth, manageable
ball.
7. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill until ready to use. (Mixture
will keep for months.)
8. Use plenty of cornstarch when making skulls or other shapes.
9. When the figures are dry, color them as you wish.
Preparación:
1. Cierne el azúcar glass.
2. Incorpora la clara, la miel y la vainilla en un recipiente
limpio y sin grasa.
3. Añade el azúcar glass con una cuchara de madera.
4. Amasa la mezcla con la punta de los dedos hasta que forme una
bola.
5. Espolvorea con maicena una tabla o cualquier superficie plana.
6. Pon en el tabla la mezcla hasta que la dejes lisa y manejable.
7. Deja la masa en una bolsa de plástico muy bien cerrada, hasta
que la quieras utilizar.
8. Usa bastante maicena cuando haga las tradicionales calaveras o
las otras figuras.
9. Pinta las figuras cuando estén secas. Usa los colores que
quieras.
Day of the Dead Bread
Pan de Muertos
Ingredients Ingredientes
1 1/2 cups of
flour Una taza y
media de harina
1/2 cup of
sugar Media taza
de azúcar
1 teaspoon of salt Una cucharadita de sal
1 tablespoon of anise seed Una
cucharada de semillas de anís
2 packets of dry yeast Dos paquetitos de levadura
1/2 cup of
milk Media taza
de leche
1/2 cup of
water Media taza de agua
1/2 cup of
butter Media taza de mantequilla
4 eggs
Cuatro huevos
3 to 4 1/2 cups of flour
Entre
tres y cuatro y media tazas de harina
Preparation:
Mix all dry ingredients together except the 3 to 4 1/2 cups of
flour.
In a small pan, heat the milk, the water, and the butter. Add the
liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Beat well.
Mix in the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Beat well.
Put in the rest of the flour, little by little.
Knead the mixture on a floured board for 9 to 10 minutes.
Put the dough in a greased bowl and allow it to rise until it has
doubled in size (about an hour and a half at sea level).
Punch the dough down and reshape it with some bone shapes on top
to decorate it.
Let it rise another hour.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 40 minutes.
After baking, sprinkle it with confectioner's sugar and colored
sugar.
Preparación:
Mezcle todos los ingredientes secos menos las 3 - 4 1/2 tazas
de harina.
En una olla caliente la leche, el agua y la mantequilla. Añada la
mezcla líquida a la mezcla de ingredientes secos. Bátalo bien.
Agregue los huevos y una taza y media de harina. Bátalo bien.
Agregue el resto de la harina poco a poco.
Sobre una tabla enharinada, amase por unos 9 - 10 minutos la
mezcla.
Ponga la masa en un recipiente engrasado, y deje que levante hasta
que haya doblado su tamaño (aproximadamente hora y media al nivel
del mar).
Para que la masa se encoja, déle puñetazos y fórmela de nuevo con
unos "huesos" de masa encima para decorarla.
Deje que levante una hora más.
Hornee a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) por unos 40 minutos.
Después de hornearlo, espolvoréele azúcar glas y azúcar coloreado.
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