All Souls Day – Cooking and Food Traditions of Mexico

Today, Catholic Cuisine features a special From the Bounty Fair – “Hallowed Days: All Saints and All Souls” with people sharing their ideas for remembering these upcoming feast days in their homes.  Visit the site later in the day for a collection of ideas hosted by Jessica.  Here is my contribution to the fair.

I lived for several years in New Mexico while I was growing up. The region is rich with cultural traditions and I have always been attracted to the festivals, the art, and the celebrations of the Hispanic and Indian cultures on the Southwest. One of the celebrations that has gotten considerable notice even outside of the region in the past years is the celebration of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.  All Hallows’ Eve, All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day are collectively observed as “Los Dias de los Muertos” (The Days of the Dead).  While to many who choose to celebrate, it may have lost its religious significance, it is at its roots the remembrance of All Souls Day on November 2. It is a day to remember and pray for all the faithful departed.  And in the Mexican culture, it includes the specific traditions and focus of the Hispanic settlers of the New World along with the incorporation of traditions of the indigenous people.

With the renewed interest in the celebration fo Dia de los Muertos and the many children’s books on the topic, we have recently focused some of our All Souls Day activities on  traditions associated with the Mexican Day of the Dead.  One book in particular that we enjoy for this feast is Tony Johnson’s, Day of the Dead, beautifully illustrated by Jeanette Winter.  Much of the book pictures the preparations, specifically of foods for the feast such as sugar skulls, pan de muertos, empanadas, tamales, chicken mole and cana (sugar cane).

Additonal internet resources for All Souls Day/Dia de los Muertos:
Women for Faith and Family
Catholic Culture

SUGAR SKULLS

A major part of the Dia de los Muertos tradition is to make and decorate sugar skulls, Calaveras de azucar . These sugar skulls are placed on the home altars, or ofrendas, along with candles, marigolds, and favorite foods of the deceased whose pictures are placed there, too.  Families also take the flowers and sugar skulls to the cemetery to decorate the tombs of loved ones who have died.

We have been making these for All Souls Day for several years now.  The sugar skull molds are from Mexican Sugar Skulls website.  There are several different sizes and styles available.

The sugar mixture is very easy to make – the proportions are 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon meringue powder, 1 teaspoon water.  Mix together with fingers until sugar feels like moist sand.

Press firmly into molds.  Level excess sugar with knife and invert onto waxed paper.

Let dry completely.  They dry pretty quickly here but in moister climates it will take longer and drying might be aided by being near a heat source or in a warm oven.

Once they are dry they can be decorated with frosting, or in the case of the ones we did with our local support group last year – glitter, sequins, feathers, and marker.

  

PAN de MUERTOS

Pan de muertos, or “bread of the dead” is commonly eaten on this day in Mexico.  This bread is shaped into skulls or round loaves with strips of dough rolled out and attached to resemble bones.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
5 to 5-1/2 cups flour
2 packages dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon whole anise seed
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs

In a saucepan heat the butter, milk and water until very warm but not boiling.  In a large bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and sugar. Beat in the warm liquid until well mixed.  Add the eggs and beat in another cup of flour. Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky. Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.

Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape into loaves resembling skulls, skeletons, or round loaves with “bones” placed on the top. Let these loaves rise for 1 hour.  Bake at 350 degree  for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and paint on glaze.

Glaze
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest

Mix ingredients and boil for 2 minutes.  Spread on bread with a pastry brush. Sprinkle on colored sugar while glaze is still moist.

CALACAS CUPCAKES

I saw these cute cupcakes last year in Family Fun magazine. They are not a traditional Mexican “Day of the Dead” food, but they remind me of the calacas (colloquial Mexican Spanish name for skeleton) that are used in decoration for Dia de los Muertos and are a festive addition to the day.  The kids really enjoyed them when we had them for our All Souls Day event last year.