During Day of the Dead celebrations, several ritual foods, along with the favorite foods of the deceased, are often laid on graves and altars. Traditional foods for this event include painted sugar skulls (sometimes with the names of the deceased written on their foreheads), and special "pan de muertos," which are breads shaped as skulls, bones, etc. Pumpkin candy is another seasonal treat associated with this holiday.
Sugar and chocolate skull candy molds (and meringue powder, undecorated sugar skulls, etc.) can be found online at www.mexicansugarskull.com and also at Hearthsong.
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Another common Day of the Dead food is the "Bread of the Dead" or "Pan de Muertos." These breads can be shaped like skeletons, skulls, bones, etc., and often use anise for flavoring. Pink and red food coloring are often added to these breads to simulate blood. Some recipes for this bread follow:
* A Basic Pan de Muertos Recipe * Another Pan de Muerto Recipe * And yet another Pan de Muerto Recipe
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Kirsten Anderberg. All rights reserved. For permission to reprint/publish, please contact Kirsten at kirstena@resist.ca.