Dia De Los Muertos Cookies Recipes

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.

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 MUERTO

Steps:

• For the Starter: Whisk together milk, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Whisk in flour. Cover with a clean kitchen towel; set in a warm, draft-free place and let stand until mixture begins to bubble, 20 to 25 minutes.
• For the Dough: Attach bowl to mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add orange-flower water, orange zest, anise seeds, eggs, flour, sugar, and salt and beat on low speed until combined. Scrape bowl and beater and switch to the dough-hook attachment. Beat on medium speed until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and starts to make a slapping sound, 10 to 12 minutes.
• On low speed, add butter in four to six additions, incorporating each before adding the next. From time to time, scrape down bowl. When all of butter has been added, increase speed to medium and beat another 8 to 10 minutes, until dough slaps against bowl again. (It will still be sticky, but don't be tempted to add more flour.)
• Butter a large bowl. Shape dough into a ball and place in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Gently deflate dough with your fist, gather it into a ball, and turn over, so bottom is now on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours, and up to overnight.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and set, still covered, in a warm, draft-free spot until it comes to room temperature and rises, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Turn dough out of bowl. Cut off a quarter of dough and divide into two equal pieces; set aside. Divide larger piece of dough into two equal pieces, shape each into a ball, and place on separate baking sheets.
• To make skull and crossbones, cut one of smaller pieces of dough into three equal pieces. Shape one piece into a ball for the skull. For the bones, roll the other two pieces into ropes and pinch at intervals, so they look like joints. Repeat with other smaller piece of dough. Flatten one of smaller dough balls into a 6-inch round. Place 2 bone strips on top of a large dough round, crossing them to make an X and pressing them lightly into dough. Place "skull" in middle and press down lightly to secure. Repeat with other round of dough. If dough seems sticky, dust lightly with flour. Cover breads lightly with kitchen towels and let rise in a warm, draft free spot until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F, with a rack in middle. Bake, one loaf at a time, until lightly browned on top, 25 minutes. Cover bread loosely with foil; bake another 25 minutes, or until bread is dark golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Let cool on wire racks.
• For the Topping: Meanwhile, brush about a quarter of the top of one bread with melted butter and immediately sprinkle with a generous amount of sugar, so it adheres before butter cools and dries. Continue with rest of bread, then top second bread. Let topping cool before slicing. Wrapped in foil or in a cake keeper, bread will stay fresh up to 5 days.