Gingerbread men are so much fun to make because the decorating possibilities are endless. Sure, you could always make a traditional gingerbread man, who is rather cute and irresistible with his plain sweet smile and buttons. But why not add a little personality with a range of facial expressions – curious, mischievous, deadpan, dour or dreamy.  Or, you could even go further …

I was thinking of how I wanted to decorate these sweet little things this year, when it hit me to make them into luchadores. My bicultural train of thought went something like this: gingerbread = marranitos = panadería = Mexico = lucha libre. Of course, who doesn’t love lucha libre?! I’m a HUGE fan of the masked Mexican wrestlers, especially those vintage folk heroes like Mil Máscaras, Blue Demon and El Santo. I like classic lucha and kitschy lucha, and the idea of two identities and two sides to everyone. And I knew my daughter would just love them, because she could, in her words, “Fight them!” Yeah, too much My Little Pony Equestria Girls for her.

Disclaimer here: I am no cookie artist, so that means anyone can make these. I’m not even that good at baking cookies. As a mom, you work at the things you want to be great or just good at. And you’re okay with being mediocre or even bad at some things. I’m okay with being an okay cookie-maker. I make up for it by being an absolute pro at cookie-eating.

This holiday season, I did use a little help in the kitchen from my old friend Betty. Yup, I bought a box of gingerbread cookie mix (take your pick, from Betty Crocker to King Arthur to Williams Sonoma mixes) and called it a day. We’re in the thick of the holidays, I’ve got a fussy, teething one-year-old who wakes up at all hours of the night, blah, blah. Best decision ever, and they turned out pretty delish. Still, there are plenty of great gingerbread cookie recipes online, and this soft gingerbread cookie recipe by Inspired by Familia looks yummylicious.

If you’re new to decorating with royal icing, it’s awesome (until your hand starts cramping and you have to clean up!). It’s the type that hardens after you decorate, so it’s perfect for using on plain cookies like gingerbread or sugar cookies. One of my favorite cookie decorating blogs is Sweetopia. Who knew cookies could look sooooo pretty? I especially love her 10 tips on how to decorate cookies with royal icing.  In the past, I’ve actually followed her tips closely and come out with Pinterest-worthy cookies. Below is her recipe for royal icing.

For ideas on how to decorate the luchador masks, go to Flickr or Google and just search for lucha libre mask and you’ll get an array of photos showing various masks and designs. Pick a few and practice freehanding the design on wax or parchment paper before actually piping onto the cookie.

My luchadores didn’t turn out perfect looking, but in our house, they were just the thing we needed to give our holidays a bit of Mexican flavor. Here are the two recipes you need to follow. Have fun!

Ingredients:

Soft Gingerbread Cookies (via Inspired by Familia)

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Royal Icing (via Sweetopia)

• ¾ cup of warm water
• 5 Tablespoons meringue powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2.25 lbs./1kg powdered sugar
• **Add one teaspoon of clear vanilla to this recipe if using a meringue powder with no vanilla flavor.

**You will also need several decorating piping bags and tips, available online or in most craft stores. You can also add candy or sprinkles to your gingerbread.

Directions:

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

-Preheat over to 375F

-Cream softened butter and add brown sugar, and beat until fluffy.

-Add egg and molasses.

-Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, clover and salt.

-Refrigerate the dough for an hour. Roll it out on a floured surface, and cut out into gingerbread men using a cookie cutter. Bake for 10 minutes, and then let cool before icing.

Royal Icing

-In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand for 30 seconds. Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds. Add the powdered sugar, and using the paddle attachment mix on the lowest speed for a full 10 minutes, until icing turns thick and creamy.

-Cover the bowl with a dampened kitchen towel to prevent crusting and drying.

-Now you can tint smaller batches of the icing with food coloring, or thin it by adding small amounts of warm water until you reach the desired consistency.

 

With the stress of Thanksgiving occurring this week, let me take the worry away from cooking a dessert that everyone on your guest list will love.  In just a few minutes, you can present a fun and easy dessert that explodes in autumn cheer.  Still keeping the tradition of fall flavors, this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake dessert will capture the seasonal mood in a non-traditional presentation.

This year, we are skipping the pie and making individual dessert treats. I’m serving my favorite childhood cookies (and my son’s favorites too!), galletas Maria with a pumpkin mixture of cream cheese, topped creamy whipped topping, dulce de leche and pepitas. Don’t be surprised when your Thanksgiving guests of all ages, devour this special treat and beg to be served seconds… and thirds!

Pumpkin Cheesecakes in a Cup with Dulce de Leche Drizzle

Makes  4 -6

Ingredients:

• 20 Maria cookies, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons dulce de leche plus more for topping
• 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• whipped topping
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• pepita seeds

Instructions
In a food processor, combine cookies and butter.  Pulse until cookies are crushed and moistened and butter is evenly distributed.  Divide mixture among 4 cups.

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, mix heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  In a separate mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, dulce de leche, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon until mixture is smooth.  Fold in pumpkin puree and heavy cream.

Place pumpkin mixture on cookie crumb layer, distributing evenly.  Top with whipped topping, dulce de leche and a sprinkle of pepita seeds.

In Guatemala there are many dishes that are traditionally made for the Día de los Muertos celebrations, one of my favorite is the molletes. Very different from the Mexican molletes, Guatemalan molletes are similar to French toast. They are stuffed with custard and accompanied with syrup made with panela or raw sugar and rum. However, you can leave the rum out for a kid-friendly version. Molletes and torrejas are sometimes used interchangeably but they are different dishes as the torrejas are not stuffed.

For my family, as well as for many other Latino families living in the United States, sharing traditional dishes like the molletes truly brings us together and makes us feel closer not only to our country, Guatemala, but also to our family there.  When I remember my family or think about my country, one of the first things that come to mind is food, because food is not only tied to traditions but also to memories, to family, to culture and to your own identity.  I am hopeful that food will help me keep my culture alive in my children and will preserve our beautiful traditions like remembering our loved ones that have passed away.

I had never made molletes or torrejas until I moved to the United States and I was really surprised at how easy they where to make, even though they do take a little time.  As all the family was gathered together in the kitchen making them I told my kids stories of my grandmother who passed away and how her molletes where so delicious.  We talked about traditions in Guatemala and about our family there. The kids loved hearing all about Guatemala, about their great grandparents and enjoyed helping out and eating all the manjar that was left over

Ingredients for Molletes

• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 10 small molletes (lard or sweet bread rolls, you can find them in Latino food stores)
• 2 cups of vegetable oil
• ¼ cup raisins
• red sugar for garnish

Ingredients for Custard or Manjar

• 2 ¼ cups of whole milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for Syrup

• 2 cup panela or raw sugar
• 3 cups of water
• ½ cup rum
• zest from one lime
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 3 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• raisins

Directions        

• In a sauce pan over medium heat bring 2 cups of milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt to a boil.
• While milk is heating up mix together cornstarch and ¼ cup cold milk in a bowl.
• Once milk has reached the boiling point reduce heat.
• Take ½ cup of the hot milk and add to the cornstarch, mixing well.
• Pour cornstarch and milk mix back into saucepan and heat stirring constantly until custard thickens.
• Remove from heat and add vanilla mixing well.
• Let cool.
• To make the syrup place the panela or raw sugar, water, lime zest, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick and rum in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat.
• While the syrup is heating up cut off the top of each of the molletes (rolls).
• Remove some of the bread creating a cavity in the center of each mollete.
• Place 3-4 raisins inside each mollete .
• Fill with custard and place the lid on, pressing lightly to close it .
• Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• Add the yolks, flour and sugar and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Heat up the oil in a large pan.
• Dip the stuffed molletes into the egg mixture and carefully place in hot oil.
• Fry for a minute or less on each side until golden.
• Remove from pan and place on a colander, place colander over sink and pour boiling water over them.
• Pat them dry to remove excess water.
• Place the molletes in the syrup and cook over low heat until they are soft.
• Serve warm or cold.

Marigolds, Cempazuchitl (cempoal-xochitl), meaning the flower of twenty petals in Náhuatl, are traditionally known as flor de muerto or the flower of the dead. From deep reds to bright yellows, the marigold’s blooms can reach up to 2-inches in diameter and a stem up to 3-feet tall. During the pre-Hispanic era, the Aztecs selected this robust flower to cover the altars and take part of burial offerings dedicated to their dead.

Now, this beautiful flower is one of the major protagonists during the celebration on November 1 and 2, All Souls Day and Day of the Dead.  Endless garlands are hung on altars as part of the holiday’s offerings to the deceased, denoting strength of sunlight.

Not only is this flower pleasant to look at, but a flavor enhancer to poultry, teas, candies and tortillas.  Celebrate Día de Los Muertos with your tortillero filled with these marigold tortillas.  They are the perfect accompaniment to the festivity’s mole, cochinita pibil or a simple queso fundido appetizer.  ¡Buen provecho!

Tortillas de Cempazuchitl | Marigold Tortillas

Makes 16, 6-inch tortillas

Ingredients:

• 2 cups corn flour
• 1 ¼ cups water
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups fresh edible marigold petals

Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine corn flour, water and salt.  Mix with hands until smooth.  If dough sticks to hands, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

Heat a comal or skillet over low-medium heat.

Divide dough into 16 separate equal portions and roll each portion into a ball.

Using a tortilla press, flatten each masa ball between to plastic sheets.  Open the press and evenly distribute marigold petals on the pressed tortilla.  Press the tortilla again gently enough to embed flower petals into the masa.

Place tortilla on hot comal and cook for approximately 1 minute on each side.

Keep tortillas warm in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in a tea towel.

Contrary to what many could think judging by its name, el Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is mostly a celebration of life. It is a time where we honor and remember our loved ones that have passed away and we do so by celebrating with joy the memory of their lives. In Mexico, colorful altars are created either at home or the cemetery. These altars include skulls and other symbols that represent death but they are lively decorated, full of color and cheerful details, as the idea is to bring to life the positive memories we have of those who have died. Personal objects, mementos, pictures and even favorite foods of the deceased are placed as part of the altar. The whole family gets creative thinking of ways the altar can best represent the memories of those that have passed on and are held near and dear to their hearts. As much importance is placed on creativity, I wanted to share an edible idea that is meant to get your creative juices flowing: Día de los Muertos Sandwich Art.

The shape of traditional sandwich bread is close to the shape of a skull, so just like decorating cookie skulls, you can decorate a piece of bread to make fun and creative sandwiches or toast. This is a great idea to involve your kids and to allow them to learn more about the traditions, but also to become part of the celebration. If you do not partake in the creation of an altar at home but do want make sure your family knows about this celebration, why not try this edible activity for breakfast, lunch or snack time, while telling stories about the lives of our loved muertos.

Here are a few Día de los Muertos sandwich art ideas but remember the possibilities are endless.

Using an apple corer or simply a knife, make two holes on a piece of bread to resemble the eyes. Do the same for the nose and mouth. Spread peanut butter and jelly on another slice of bread and top it off with the cutout sliced so that the jelly shows out, adding color to the face of the skull.

If you want to get even more creative, make an open face sandwich. Have various types of nuts, candy, and fruit on hand and on a slice of bread, use a smooth spread of your choice. The spread will work as a glue that will hold together your work of art. This is a good idea for a sweet treat or snack.

For a healthier version, spread cream cheese to create a blank canvas. Use cold cuts, sliced cheese and veggies to cut out shapes that will give life to the skull.

With  Día de Muertos just around the corner we were inspired to bake up something sweet that reflects the flavors of this special holiday. We also wanted to make something that we could enjoy creating with our niños. It helped that we attended the Nestlé Dia de Muertos event where our creative juices really got going. How do some Abuelita Sugar Skull Cookies sound ? Yes, you read right. That tasty and traditional cup of Mexican hot chocolate that many of us enjoy is what inspired these treats. We followed this Nestlé recipe and then gave it an extra Day of the Dead spin with the calavera inspired icing.

Although we are not culinary artists in the kitchen we enjoyed making these cookies and decorating them. They were surprisingly simple to make! Most of the work goes into the decorating. Let yours and your kids imaginations soar and add more colors and designs to your calaveritas de azúcar cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 tablets (90 grams each) NESTLÉ ABUELITA Chocolate
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

PLACE butter and Abuelita chocolate in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until completely melted and smooth; let cool for 10 minutes.

BEAT Abuelita mixture and sugar in large mixer bowl. Add egg; beat until combined. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until blended.

SHAPE rounded tablespoon of dough into ball. Flatten ball into a disk and shape into a skull by pinching sides of bottom quarter of dough. Repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 8 to 9 minutes or until golden around edges.

SpanglishBaby’s Decorating Tips:

• We used white icing to cover the cookies after they had cooled.
• It helps to place the cookies with the icing in a cool place so that the icing hardens a bit. 
• After the icing has hardened a bit you can draw out your design with a toothpick. Then, color in the design lines with colorful icing!

 Find this and more delicious recipes with Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate at the Nestlé Meals website.

I recently attended an all-expenses paid meeting at The J. M. Smucker Company on behalf of SpanglishBaby to learn more about Smucker’s Brand Products and  helpful holiday tips. I want to share some of the fun and easy recipes I learned using Smucker’s Brand Products that will surely add some love to your holiday fiestas.

During my visit I learned how to make delicious tasting treats and dishes that would make family gatherings for the holidays extra special. My family is big and when we get together there are so many different foods to enjoy. It’s great to have our traditional dishes, but occasionally it’s fun to surprise the kids with some yummy treats.

I tried these recipes at Smucker’s Headquarters and they were delicious, so putting my kids to the test when I got home was a must — my kids enjoyed both! Here are the two recipes I will definitely be sharing and making with my family this holiday.

Caramel Apple Popcorn by Pillsbury

Yields 4 servings(refer to site recipe for larger servings)

Ingredients:

1/2 container of Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Caramel Apple Flavored Frosting

1 bag of microwave popcorn

1 cup of pecans

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 cups of apple chips (freezer dry works too)

pinch of salt

Directions:

•Preheat oven at 250°F and prepare a baking sheet. Either line with parchment paper or coat with Crisco cooking spray.

•Microwave frosting in separate bowl for approximately 20 seconds.  (If making large serving where a whole container is called for, remove all foil and lid before microwaving. Pour over popped popcorn.

•Add pecans and mix until fully coated. Bake for at least 2o minutes or until crunchy. Remove from oven and toss in cinnamon, salt, and apple chips.

Popcorn stores for up to a week in an airtight container.

Cran Raspberry Snowball Punch by Smuckers

Yields 6- 1 cup servings

Ingredients:

16oz or 2 cups of cranberry juice

6oz of Smucker’s Seedless Red Raspberry Jam

1 liter of lemon lime soda, chilled

at least 4 scoops of vanilla bean ice cream(you can add one to each cup to make it a super snowball punch!

Directions:

•In a pitcher or punch bowl, mix in cranberry juice, raspberry jam and lemon lime soda.

•Add scoops of ice cream and stir until frothy.

•Top with ice cream scoops forming snowballs.

Serve and enjoy! ¡Qué rico!

One of the things I miss the most about my native country is its delectable cuisine. I’m no chef, but because I want my children to experience the flavors of Peru, I do my best to cook traditional dishes as often as possible.

Some times that’s hard to do because not all the ingredients for the more complicated dishes are readily available where I live, that’s why I’m always looking to make the simpler recipes. This usually means trying to recreate the flavors of some of Peru’s many sandwiches or sánguches, like we call them over there.

For some unknown reason, despite their simplicity, it hadn’t occurred to me to make sánguches de pollo or chicken sandwiches. So when I found myself with some left over Marketplace traditional rotisserie chicken from Walmart, which is on rollback for $4.98 until October 31, I decided to go for it.

This type of sandwich is one of the most popular in Peru because we eat a lot of rotisserie chicken (pollo a la brasa). If you ever visit my country, I highly recommend you try it. I promise you won’t regret it.

The great think about these chicken sandwiches is that they are SUPER easy to make. All you need is the left over rotisserie chicken, mayonnaise (ideally the Peruvian kind that has a bit more lime) and bread rolls, such as the telera kind sold at Walmart. Because like many Peruvians I like to eat my food a bit spicy, I also used a bit of ají amarillo for the sandwiches.

Once you have the ingredients, just shred the chicken using a fork (make sure to include the skin), add the mayo (and the ají if you’re using it), spread it on the bread and you’ve got a finger lickin’ good chicken sandwich Peruvian style. ¡Qué rico!

Disclosure: As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, I’ve received product samples and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is post is sponsored by Walmart. All opinions are my own.

What I want to share with you today is a great alternative to the traditional burger we are used to. Every long holiday weekend, like Labor Day coming up, many of us tend to enjoy the outdoors by cooking and entertaining with friends and family. Grilling is a popular choice and making homemade burgers is my favorite thing to do. But not all the time we have a grill available or the weather allows us to be outside, other times there is so much food already planned in the menu that making full size burgers is not the best idea. The good news is that we can still share and enjoy the flavors of one of America’s favorites, by serving these mini burgers on a stick, the perfect party appetizer if you ask me.

A fun entertaining tip is to serve these mini burgers on a stick with several sauces on the side. I use a mixture of mayo and ketchup which combines the most common condiments all in one. You can also offer other dipping sauce options like BBQ sauce, blue cheese, ranch, chipotle etc. Another great idea is to have on the side a basket of mini buns in case people are still craving them. The rolls can be cut in half to hold and slide the stick to get all the tasty fillers.

To make these bite sized burgers, have all your ingredients ready and make it a fun time for the kids by assembling them together.

A tip for prepping your meat, that will guarantee a juicy and flavorful burger, is to add shredded onions. The onion will add moisture to the patties and the end result will be tastier and juicer for sure. Regardless of the seasonings, what is most important in order to cook the best burger, is the type of meat you use. I trust the selection offered by Walmart. Their ground beef is all natural, U.S. inspected and passed by the Department of Agriculture, with no artificial ingredients. That will be my first suggestion for a superb burger patty, then select any flavor additions and fixings according to your preference.

Everyone will have fun not only making them but eating these tasty bites as well.

Mini Burgers on a Stick

yields 20

Ingredients

• 20 ounces ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 large vidalia onion, shredded
• Cheddar cheese
• Lettuce
• Bacon
• Cherry tomatoes
• Skewers

Cooking Directions
- In a large bowl, mix together the beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder and shredded onion. Form the mixture into 20 equal-size patties. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the patties for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.

- When patties are cooked you can keep the warm in the oven while you make sure all you other ingredients will be ready to assemble. Cheese, lettuce and bacon should be cut into small pieces and cherry tomatoes should be cut in half.

- Once all your ingredients are ready, start assembling by threading the tomato first, then lettuce, bacon cheese and lastly the mini burger patty.

- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

On this week’s culture of food round-up we found five delicious recipes that feature traditional dishes. Some of these dishes were created with a twist that will either save us time in the kitchen, satisfy the vegetarians in the family or are just tasty and fun. To view the full recipes just click on the links below. Which recipe do you want to try?

1. Stuffed Chayote Squash by Melissa of Hungry Food Love

2. Quick and Easy Arroz con Pollo by Vianney of Sweet Life Bake

3. Ceviche de Soya by Karen of Mi Cocina Rapida

4. “Sneak Some Veggies” Turkey Meatballs by Noelle of Opera Singer in the Kitchen

5. Nutella Churro Balls by Kathy of Crafty Chica