Shortbread Calaveritas

I did these as a project with my young students after talking about Día de Muertos and it was so much fun!

Basic shortbread cookie.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups all purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, mix room temperature butter with the sugar on low speed.
Slowly incorporate the flour. The mixture will look dry but keep going, it will come together.

flatten to 1/4" and cut out your cookie shapes (aprox 20 large cookies 5"x3")

Cook at 300F* for 30 min and move from cooling rack immediately, don't leave them on the baking sheet.

Basic Icing.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup confectioners sugar
3 teaspoons of milk
vegetable coloring

DIRECTIONS:

Mix milk and sugar and add more milk until you get the right consistency. Be sure to add drops at a time! Very little liquid goes a long way with this kind of sugar :)

Separate in batches and add a couple of drops of color.

Paint your Calaveritas and remember to use as many colors as you want :)

Bûche de Noël

"Biuche" as per Pamela Caro ;-)
From Berenice Alvarez


INGREDIENTS:

 For the cake:
• 7 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites
• 80 g sugar
• 40 g flour
• 40 g of starch
• a pinch of salt
• butter

 For the chocolate ganache:
• 400 g of chocolate rich in cocoa
• 30 cl whipping cream
• 50 g butter, softened

 For the nougat cream
• 400 g of almond nougat
• 30 cl whipping cream
• 50 g butter, softened

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 210 ° C (th.7).
Prepare the cake:
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 60 g of powdered sugar until the mixture whitens.
Wisk the egg whites until stiff then incorporate the remaining sugar.
Mix ONLY 2 tbsps of egg whites to the egg yolks and sugar mix.
Mix the flour, cornstarch and salt and add to the previous mixture alternating 1 tbsp of egg whites, 1 tbsp of flour...
Line a rectangular baking sheet 30 cm x 40 cm buttered and floured w/ parchment paper, then pour the dough into even layer.
Fill half way up and cook 8 to 12 minutes, without leaving the cake to dry.
Remove from oven, invert the plate on a clean, damp cloth, remove the parchment paper.
Roll the biscuit and keep it wrapped in the towel until completely cooled.

Prepare the chocolate ganache:
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Break the chocolate in a heat resistant bowl and melt it gently in a bain-marie. Mix until smooth, then remove from heat.
Add the softened butter at room temperature and stir until melted.
Pour the cream gently on the surface of chocolate. Mix quickly with a whisk for a smooth and shiny. Let cool to firm.

Prepare the cream of nougat:
In a small pot heat the cream, butter and nougat. Mix to obtain a cream. Cool

When the cake is cooled, unroll it and then spread the nougat cream in an even layer. Roll the biscuit back on itself and place it on a flat plate, opening underneath.
Place the log in the refrigerator for 6 hours minimum for the firming cream and all the flavors amalgamate.
After this time, prepare the frosting:
Reheat gently to soften the ganache, whisking, then over all the log using a flexible metal spatula.
Let cool and decorate with a fork, powdered sugar and ornaments
Serve chilled.

Rosca de Reyes

INGREDIENTS:
· 2 ¼ tsps dry yeast
· ¼ cup warm water
· ¼ cup milk
· ¼ cup sugar
· ¼ cup unsalted butter
· 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
· 1 tbsp of anise extract or agua de azar
· 3½ – 4 cups all-purpose flour
· 3 large eggs
· 1 tsp water
· candied fruit for garnish (acitron, orange, cherries)
For the sugar pasta:
· ½ cup sugar
· 1 egg yolk
· ½ cup flour
· 1/3 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS:
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes or until it starts foaming.
2. In a small pot warm milk and add sugar, butter, vanilla, anise and rum. Mix until it reaches about 105°F (40°C) (it will be warm to the touch)
3. Mix milk mixture with yeast mixture and add 3½ cups of flour, one at a time, and 3 eggs. Knead for 10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough is too wet.
4. Place dough into a bowl and cover. Let it sit until it doubles in size, about 1.5 hours, punch the dough, knead for 2 minutes and let rise again for 1.5 hours.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (175°C)
6. Turn the dough onto a slightly floured surface and using your palms roll it into a long rope and insert 3 plastic figurines. Shape it into a ring sealing the ends together (do not stretch it too much, no more than 14" diameter)
8. In a small bowl mix the ingredients for the pasta mixing them with a fork until they come
together. Using an icing knife or bag spread strips of pasta on the bread alternating with
candied fruit strips.
9. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes and serve with Mexican Hot Chocolate.