A Masquerade of Muertos (Wisteria Tearoom Mysteries Book 5) (36 page)

(for el Dia de los Muertos - edible, but I don't)

Ingredients:

2 c granulated sugar

2 t meringue powder

2 t water

3” skull mold

4x6” index card 

  or stiff plastic card

cardboard

Preparation:
Mix dry ingredients together. Sprinkle water and mix until consistency of moist sand (not soppy). Pack into skull mold, place index card at back and quickly flip over, slide onto cardboard and slide out index card. Tap mold to make sure it’s loose, then lift carefully. Let dry for at least 24 hours, then decorate. Makes about four skulls. 

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

2 c powdered sugar

1.5 T meringue powder

¼ t almond, lemon, or vanilla

¼-½  c warm water

food coloring

Preparation:
Blend ingredients with mixer until peaks form. Separate into small bowls and add coloring, then spoon into plastic bags and make tiny snips in corners (or use piping bags). Keep sealed and refrigerated until use.

Copyright © 2016 by Patrice Greenwood. All rights reserved.

This recipe is for buns (yields approximately twelve). Traditionally,
pan de muerto
is made in larger loaves. If you choose to make loaves, this recipe will yield two.
 

photos by Chris Krohn

Ingredients:

For the bread

½  c whole milk

5-½  T unsalted butter, chopped

zest of 1 orange 

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 T orange blossom water (or plain water)

 --------------------------------------------

1 ¼-oz. packet active dry yeast

¼ c lukewarm water (90-110°F)

 --------------------------------------------

3-½  c unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed

¼ c granulated sugar

1 t sea salt or kosher salt

Vegetable oil as needed

For the topping

4 T unsalted butter, melted

1 t orange flower water

2 T powdered sugar

 --------------------------------------------

granulated sugar for sprinkling (½-1 cup)

In small saucepan, stir milk, butter, and orange zest over medium heat until butter melts, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat cool until warm (10 minutes). Add orange blossom water and eggs, whisk until blended.

Dissolve yeast in ¼ c lukewarm water and let stand 5 minutes. 

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in large, shallow bowl. Make a well in the center. Mixing gently with your hand or a silicon spatula, gradually alternate adding yeast mixture and milk mixture into the well. Knead about 10 minutes until dough is smooth and slightly sticky. Add more flour if needed.

Round up dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and leave in a warm place (about 70°F) until doubled in size, 1 to 1-½  hours.

Shape the buns

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut off a third of the dough and set aside for decorations. Divide the remaining dough in half, divide each half into thirds, and divide each third in half to create twelve buns. Round up on a lightly floured surface and place on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each bun with your palm to flatten it – about ¾” to 1” thick. Cover both sheets and let the bread start to rise while making decorations. 

Note: these are the traditional
Dia de los Muertos
“bone” decorations, which are more stylized than realistic. On a larger loaf, there are usually three strips of “bones” rather than two. The top ball represents a skull.

The dough will be sticky and stretchy. Have a small dish of water on hand and a small pile of flour at the edge of your work surface. Dip fingers into one or the other as needed. 

Decorate six buns at a time

From the reserved dough, take twelve pinches each about ½” in diameter. On a lightly floured board, roll each pinch into a ball. Take one ball and press in the center with a finger. 

Begin to roll it out, leaving a knob at each end. Add a second finger, then a third, gently stretching as the “bone” elongates. Roll until about 4” long and about ¼” in diameter with knobbed ends. 

Optional Extra Knobbiness

When all twelve bones are shaped, take a small pinch of reserved dough and roll it thin, to 2 mm thick. Pinch off lengths of about ¾”. With a fingertip, dampen the back of each length with water and wrap around a bone about 1” from the end. Press the outside edge of the small strip with a fingertip to make a dimple. Add another strip to the other end of the bone. Repeat for each bone. (Note: if you are dexterous, you might simply roll extra knobs into the bones as you are stretching them out. However, I’ve found it easier and faster to do it this way.)

Take 6 pinches of reserved dough each ½” in diameter. Roll into balls for the “skulls.”

Uncover one sheet of buns and use fingertips to dampen each bun before decorating it. Lay one bone across bun and press against the bun slightly to make sure it sticks, especially at the ends. If the bone is too long, pinch it together in the middle, which will be covered. If it is too short, stretch it. Dampen the center point of this bone and lay a second bone across it to form a cross shape. 

Dampen the point where they cross, and gently press one of the skulls onto that point. Repeat for each bun.

Cover and let rise while decorating second tray (note the time: this tray should rise about 45 minutes). You may have enough dough left from the reserve to make an extra bun for a total of lucky thirteen!

Baking and Sugaring

With a rack in center of oven, bake the first tray until the loaves have an even golden color, 20 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bake 5 minutes more. Bottoms should be browned and sound hollow when tapped.

While the bread is baking, melt the 4 T butter in a small saucepan. Add orange flower water and powdered sugar, stir until blended, remove from heat.

Set a wire cooling rack over a shallow pan or baking sheet to catch excess butter and sugar.

When first tray of buns is done, remove from the oven and place second tray in (set timer). Place the baked buns on the wire rack and brush with the melted butter mixture. Sprinkle sugar all over the tops, tilting the buns slightly to coat them evenly. Let cool, then remove to plate. Repeat with the second batch of buns. 

The bread is best eaten within a day of baking.

Copyright © 2016 by Patrice Greenwood. All rights reserved.

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A Masquerade of Muertos!
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