Dia De Los Muertos Cookies Recipes

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS COOKIES

Steps:

• To make the vanilla dough, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together with a whisk or a fork.
• Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla.
• On low speed, beat in the flour just until incorporated.
• Form the dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter.
• Set aside.
• To make the chocolate dough, in a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
• Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with the back of a spoon or an electric mixer until smooth and creamy but not fluffy (less than 1 1/2 minutes with an electric mixer).
• Beat in the egg and vanilla.
• On low speed, beat in the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
• Form dough into a log the same length as the vanilla log.
• If the dough is too soft and sticky to handle place it in the freezer to firm.
• To shape the skulls, reshape each log of dough so that it is skull shaped rather than round: make one side narrow for the chin and jaw and leave the other side wide for the cranium.
• Wrap and refrigerate the chocolate dough. Form features in the vanilla dough, using the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes for eyes through the entire length of the log.
• Form the nose with a skewer, poking two holes for nostrils.
• Form the mouth by inserting a narrow table knife and wiggling it back and forth to lengthen and widen the opening.
• Don't try for perfection: irregular holes make the best and weirdest skulls. Wrap and refrigerate the vanilla dough.
• Chill both doughs at least 2 hours, preferable overnight.
• Position rack in the upper and lower third of the oven.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the chocolate dough into 1/8-inch slices and place them at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.
• Cut the vanilla dough into 1/8-inch slices and place 1 slice on top of each chocolate slice.
• Bake until pale golden at the edges, 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking.
• Slide parchment liners onto cooling racks or transfer the cookies directly from the pan to the rack with a metal pancake turner, waiting 1 to 2 minutes if necessary to let the cookies firm up before moving them.
• Cook cookies completely before stacking or storing.
• Cookies keep at least 1 week in an air-tight container.

PAN DE MUERTOS (MEXICAN BREAD OF THE DEAD)

Steps:

• Heat the milk and the butter together in a medium saucepan, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add them warm water. The mixture should be around 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).
• In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape it into a large round loaf with a round knob on top. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly then brush with glaze.
• To make glaze: In a small saucepan combine the 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with white sugar.