This post is sponsored by Samsung, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Feliz Dia de los Muertos!
If you’re not familiar, this holiday is celebrated in Mexico and in certain countries throughout Latin America, lasting 3 days to honor those who have passed. On the days leading up to the celebration, families start to set up altars dedicated to loved ones and pets that have passed–as a way to remember them and celebrate their spirits. Personally, death and the afterlife wasn’t something I really thought of until my grandma passed away a few years ago. Celebrating Dia de los Muertos helped pacify the blow of her absence by making me totally rethink of what and how I thought about death.
The altars people set up can often be very, very elaborate. They’ll be adorned with pictures of the deceased, marigolds, their favorite alcohol, water, their favorite dishes, sugar skulls and items of theirs amongst other things. If you happen to be in Mexico during the celebration, you’ll often see an influx of marigolds all around because they are an important part of the celebration. These bright blooms are said to be used to guide the deceased to their altars, and illuminate the path to their graves. Pan de muerto is a big staple in this celebration, and bakeries in Mexico often start selling this bread in early October, because people love it so much.
This year, I decided to refine my recipe for pan de muerto and added notes of orange, clove, ginger and cinnamon and really took my time forming each separate loaf. One of the things I’ve learned about making pan de muerto is that this recipe requires your tender love and care. You need to take your time carefully forming the crossbones and really give it some time to rise after it all comes together or it won’t cooperate with you while it bakes. Luckily, my Samsung range has a built in compartment that allows you to proof your dough, so everything proofs in the perfect amount of time, every single time!
I hope you all have a great weekend, and if you have anytime for a baking project this weekend, get the family involved! This would make a great group activity to get everyone together and celebrate and share memories of those who have passed on!
