Sugar Skulls
2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup cornstarch
colored icing
1 fine paintbrush
Sift powdered sugar. Mix the egg white, corn syrup, and vanilla in a very clean bowl, then add the powdered sugar with a wooden spoon. When almost incorporated, start kneading with the tip of your fingers until you can form a small ball. Dust with cornstarch on board. Keep on kneading until smooth, then form into skull shapes. Let dry completely, then paint with colored icing, including the names of the people you are giving them to.
Pan De Muerto (makes two loaves)
1 tablespoon active, dry yeast
1/4 cup of lukewarm water
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour and extra flour for dusting
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
6 extra large eggs at room temperature
zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons orange blossom water
3 tablespoons Sambuca liqueur (optional)
1 egg for egg wash
2 tablespoons of water for egg wash
1/4 cup water for brushing bread
1/2 cup white sugar for dusting
Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
In a small bowl combine the water, yeast, 1/3 cup of flour, mix well and let it stand until it doubles in volume. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, nutmeg and set aside.
In a large bowl, with a whisk, mix the butter and sugar until creamy color.
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, orange blossom water, orange zest (and Sambuca, optional). Set aside.
With a whisk, incorporate the egg mixture 1/3 at a time to the butter mixture. Incorporate the yeast mixture to the butter/egg mixture. Add the flour mix 1/3 at a time and work it with a wooden spoon until it incorporates.
Dust the working counter and your hands with flour and transfer the dough to the counter. Start working the dough by folding it with a scraper. It should be sticky. Keep dusting dough with flour and folding in order to firm it up. Once it firms up, continue to dust with flour and start kneading. Knead the dough by pulling, then folding it back and forth for 3 minutes. Then lightly dust the dough and continue working for another 3 minutes and dust again until the dough is smooth and a little sticky, but don't add large amounts of flour at once or your bread my have flour traps. As it firms up, continue to knead for 15 minutes. Don't worry if the dough is slightly sticky - it will change after you let it rest.
When you're finished kneading, form it into a loose ball and cinch it closed. Flip it over and transfer the dough into a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature until it doubles in volume.
Flour your knuckles and punch down the dough so it deflates and turn it onto a floured counter. Divide the dough into 3 portions. Punch down 2 portions of dough, fold and cinch dough, then flip over and shape each one into a ball. Place the 2 balls of dough on a baking tray with parchment paper. Press both dough balls down to make them flat. Divide the last portion into three more portions. Make 2 of the 3 portions into little balls. Cut the last piece of dough in half and roll one portion of that piece into a long rope. Cut the rope in half and then cut one of the halves into smaller segments. Mould each segment to look like little bones by rolling and pinching them. Trim the edges with your pastry scraper and set them aside on baking tray. Form small tear-shaped pieces with the other segment of rope. Roll out the last piece of excess dough into 2 long ropes and another ball and set all pieces on baking sheet. You may not have enough dough for this, but if you do, simply make another small loaf. Cover with a dry cloth and let rest in a warm place for an hour or when it doubles in volume.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Let the dough rest until it almost doubles in size. Then very carefully brush the round loaves with egg wash. Immediately place and press the "bones" and "the tears" onto each loaf before the egg wash dries. And place the smaller dough balls on top of each. Glaze each loaf with egg wash. Decorate the extra remaining ball with the last 2 pieces of rope and finish off with small tears. Place the decorated loaves in the oven, turn down to 350º F and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the tray around and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until bread is brown. Pull bread out of the oven when it is ready and cool loaves on cooling wire racks for 10 minutes. Mix glaze ingredients, apply glaze all over the bread with a pastry brush, then immediately dust each loaf with sugar. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve warm.
At Samhain, Wiccans often set up an altar to honor the "Mighty Dead." The idea of the Mighty Dead goes back to Gardner.
The Wiccan concept of an altar to the "Might Dead" is extremely similar to the Latin days of the dead ofrendas--only the ofrendas are much more elaborate.
In areas in the USA in which there are large Hispanic populations, Wiccans as well as some eclectic Neo-Pagans, have adopted aspects of the days of the dead celebration, particularly in relation to altars to the Mighty Dead and certain recipes.
Personally, I haven't tried making either of the above recipes. Yet, I have attended Maryland Samhain celebrations which have both sugar skulls and Pan De Muerto to be used as both offerings to the Mighty Dead and as delicious food for the participants to enjoy.