Pan de muertos and GREAT NEWS!

This post is long overdue. I made this bread for my "stepdaughters" for El Día de los Muertos around the beginning of November. I got the recipe from What's Cooking, which is full of authentic Mexican recipes and excellent photography.

This bread took a while to make because I was working on another culinary project concomitantly. The day I was finishing up on the preparation for this bread, I had to hurry with the photos because I needed to mail it off before the post office closed.

The huesos ("bones") or lágrimas ("tears"), which are the rolled ridges on top of the bread, lifted up while baking, and the balls on top of the bread shifted greatly on some of them. Nevertheless, they looked satisfactory.
They didn't look as perfect as Ben's from What's Cooking, but they were pretty good for my first (rushed) attempt.

Since I didn't get to eat the bread (I just ate a little abandoned ball), they told me that the bread tasted very good. I'm glad it didn't go bad during the days it spent in the box en route to California.

One of the ingredients in this bread is orange blossom water, which I had never heard of. It has a strange smell, and it supposedly tastes like licorice.

My first, published, night-time shot in my DIY lightbox. What do you think?

Ben says that a substitute for this water is anise seeds, which I also didn't have. So, I bought the orange blossom water at Whole Foods for around $3.50 (not a bad price for that expensive store).

Pan de muertos
by What's Cooking
PRINTABLE VERSION!

• 250 gr all-purpose flour
• 50 gr sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (7 gr)
• 75 gr butter, at room temperature
• 2 TBSP orange blossom water (or anise seeds)
• 1 pinch salt
• 100 ml milk
• 2 eggs
• zest of one lime and one orange
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 cup of sugar

In the bowl of a stand-up mixer cream flour, sugar, yeast and butter at slow speed.
Add eggs one by one, milk, orange blossom, salt and zest. Turn speed to medium and mix for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover. Let it rest for 1 hour in a warm place or until it doubles in size.

• 
• Punch the dough in the middle and turn over a floured surface. Divide in 7 equal parts. 6 of those parts will become your loaves and the last one will be used to make the decorations. Form the 6 loaves, place them on a greased baking sheet and let them double in size, covered.
  The bones and little balls to decorate the bread are placed on a plate, covered and put in the fridge to keep them firm and avoid they expand.
  
  
  
• Pre-heat oven to 180°C (about 355°F).
• Decorate the bread and bake for about 20 minutes.
  
  It will be ready when it is golden brown in the outside.
  
  
• In the meantime melt the 2 TBSP of butter in a small pot. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven brush melted butter and sprinkle sugar over them. You can also place the sugar on a flat plate and roll the loaves in it.

GREAT NEWS!!!

I was one of three winners of a red Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer on Pioneer Woman!!! I feel sort of bad, though, since I already have a stand mixer. I originally entered the contest to win her cookbook, but I'm very happy I have won a stand mixer. What should I do with this new stand mixer? Should I keep it or give it away to a relative? My mom wants it, but she doesn't like to cook and is in inept in the kitchen. I secretly want to keep it, though, but that sounds greedy to me. I guess I'll keep it for awhile and then give it away to someone deserving hehe.

Wow. First, I mustered up the courage to talk to a potential dissertation committee member. Next, I won a blogger award. Then, I won a stand mixer, and then my youngest "stepdaughter" told me that she won a best reader award! It's been a long time since I've had such a great week. Thank you, Lord. Have a great weekend, everyone!