[JustAmy]

Good Morning, Cal, Thank you for bringing us the history. So many times, we just say "Oh it's Halloween .... better buy some candy. "


Pan de Los Muertos, Bread of the Dead

The most traditional form of this Mexican holiday bread is made into a round shape with a cinnamon or anise flavored star shape on top, tinted red, blue or purple and sprinkled with sugar. But you can also make the dough into shapes. Serve with milk or hot chocolate, and offer some to your departed ancestors so they may breathe in its essence and be nourished, before you gobble it up yourself!

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
10 drops anise extract

Mix all of the above until smooth. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a cookie sheet.
With clean hands, mold the dough into a round shape with a knob on the top (which will be a skull) or into smaller round shapes, animals, faces or angels. Place dough on cookie sheet.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 T. melted butter
Mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and melted butter for the topping.
Sprinkle topping on dough and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
When cool, decorate the skull shaped knobs, animals or faces with icing sugar to make eyes, nose and mouth.

[Calpernia]

Bread of the Dead?

That really isn't a pleasant name for a recipe. As irrational as it is....I don't even think I would try this recipe. It gives me the illogical idea that I'm taking communion from the devil.

Oh, GREAT tidbit. We made carrot bread at my son's preschool. I brought jars of baby food carrots rather than fresh carrots. Boy did it make the bread MOIST!