christmas holiday food traditions
Bunuelos (mexican fritters)
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 beaten eggs
- Canola or vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- In a saucepan heat milk, butter, and vanilla and bring to a boil.
- In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, then add the beaten eggs to the warm milk mixture and whisk quickly.
- Add the liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.
- Knead dough on lightly floured surface 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
- After you knead the dough, divide into 20 dough balls. With a rolling pin, roll out thin tortillas.
- Lay out all the thin tortilla flats on a tablecloth and let them dry. Turn them over once to ensure drying on both sides. This helps remove most of the moisture before frying.
- Heat one-inch of oil in a skillet wide enough for the tortillas to fry flat. Deep-fry tortillas until golden brown, turning once. Remove from pan; stand vertically in a bowl lined with paper towels and drain excess oil.
- While warm, sprinkle fried tortillas on both sides with sugar-cinnamon mixture.
tamales
You may be surprised to find out that tamales top the list of favorite holiday fare in Mexico. It's because they require so much time to make and so they are usually only made a few times a year in very large batches. Steaming hot tamales are a perfect food for the holidays and you have to unwrap them like a little present.
rosca de reyes "Three kings bread"
Made for Posadas in late December or Día de los Santos Reyeson January 6th, this sweet holiday bread is shaped like a wreath and decorated with candied figs, lemon, cherries and mango. A little baby Jesus doll is baked into the bread and whoever gets the piece of bread with the doll in it has to provide food for the next party which is for Candleria or Candlemas on February 2nd.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 1 packet of yeast
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- A small figurine or toy
- Candied Fruit (about 2 cups of assorted fruit cut into strips such as figs, orange, lemon, mango or cherries)
- 1 egg beaten (egg wash)
- 1/3 cup sugar (topping)
atole
This thick, rich porridge-like drink is a traditional holiday staple in Mexico. Served for breakfast or with lunch or dinner, it is satisfying and filling. Sweetened with brown sugar, cinnamon and topped with fruit. The holidays just wouldn't be compete without a steaming mug of authentic atole.
A thick drink similar to an American hot cereal. It is made with masa and sometimes topped with fruit.
Ingredients:
A thick drink similar to an American hot cereal. It is made with masa and sometimes topped with fruit.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup masa harina blended with 1/4 cup warm water in blender
- 3 cups water
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar or piloncillo
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoons vanilla or one one vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup pureed fruit (optional)
pan dulce
These sweet Mexican rolls are made fresh daily in local panaderias. Almost like a Mexican doughnut, they make a great addition to your morning cup of coffee and a festive addition to your holiday menu. You can color the topping red or green or use colored sugar sprinkles to decorate them.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon or one package dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 4 eggs, beaten and at room temperature
- Topping (please see below)
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- optional- food coloring
capirotada
This a thick, rich Mexican bread pudding. This recipe flavors the capirotada with apples, pecans, cinnamon and raisins. A piloncillo (or brown sugar) syrup sweetens the dish which can be topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 6 cups stale Mexican bread cut into large chunks
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 3 cones of piloncillo (or 2 cups brown sugar)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds
- 2/3 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 cup raisins soaked in warm water to soften
- 2 large, or 3 small apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1/2 cup queso fresco crumbled
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 cups milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup sherry
rompope
A thick, frothy drink similar to egg-nog. It is flavored with rum and cinnamon and uses almonds to to thicken it. A truly delicious beverage.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 6 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 8 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup blanched almonds
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup premium rum
biscochitos
Although the idea for these cookies originated from Spanish recipes, and was perfected in New Mexico, they are still found in Mexican bakeries. New Mexico has a large hispanic population and culture and recipes flow back and forth over the border. These cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations, flavored with anise seed and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Biscochitos are usually shaped in a fleur-de-lis, although I've even seen biscochitos in round and oval shapes.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves mixed with 1/4 cup sugar
Ingredients:
- 1 cup lard or shortening
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon anise seed
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup sherry
- 1 egg, beaten
- topping- (see below)
1 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves mixed with 1/4 cup sugar