Mexican Pumpkin Bread Pudding Graves With Baked Churro Mummies Recipes

MEXICAN PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING GRAVES WITH BAKED CHURRO MUMMIES

Steps:

• For the syrup: In a saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup water, the brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and orange slices. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain with a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids.
• For the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and eggs. In a separate large bowl, combine the bread with all but 1/4 cup of the syrup. Reserve the remaining 1/4 cup syrup. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and toss gently. Toss in 3/4 cup of the cheese, the almonds and raisins, and combine. Distribute the mixture evenly among 6 mini loaf pans and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
• While the pudding is still warm, pour the remaining 1/4 cup syrup over the tops of the loaves and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Then top each loaf with some crushed cookies for a graveyard dirt effect.
• For the churros: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the flour all at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon to combine. Beat in the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well before adding the next. After adding each egg, the mixture will become glossy but will return to the thick consistency of mashed potatoes when combined. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag with a large (3/8- to 1/2-inch) round tip. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Pipe 4-inch rows of the dough with at least 1-inch of space between each churro. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 minutes.
• Place the cinnamon sugar in a shallow, square baking dish. Spray the churros lightly with the cooking spray and dip each one into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll around to make sure they are well coated.
• Place the melted white chocolate in a piping bag or plastic sandwich bag. Snip off the end and quickly drizzle the chocolate over the churros in a zig-zag mummy wrap pattern, and then add candy eyes to the mummies. Place the mummies into the bread pudding graves and place a headstone above them. Enjoy your spooky treats!

BAKED MINI CHURRO BITES

Steps:

• For the churros: Adjust the oven racks to the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Bring 4 tablespoons of the butter, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the salt and 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-low until the dough is cool to the touch. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Transfer to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch wide star tip.
• Pipe the batter into 2-inch lengths about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, rotating the trays from top to bottom about halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Let sit on the baking sheets for a few minutes.
• Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Toss 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon together in another medium bowl. Working in small batches, dip the churros completely in the melted butter and let any excess drip off, then toss in the cinnamon-sugar until completely coated. Once the cinnamon-sugar mixture is too wet to coat, mix together a fresh batch with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. The churros can be baked and coated 1 day ahead of time and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
• For the caramel-mango sauce: Bring, the sugar, salt and 1/4 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook, swirling the saucepan occasionally but not stirring, until the mixture turns a medium caramel color (slightly darker than honey), about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mango and butter (take care, the mixture will bubble). Let the mixture cool for a few minutes in the saucepan, then transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. The caramel-mango sauce can be made a day ahead. Serve the churros with the caramel-mango sauce for dipping.