How to Make Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls
October 3, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Los Angeles
• 0 Comments
How to Make Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls
Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a day of celebration in Mexico and for many Mexican Americans living in the United States. Traditionally it is celebrated on November 2 and is a time of remembering loved ones who have passed away. Many decorations of the season are similar to the American Halloween themed decorations since the skeleton is typically represented.
California culinary arts are rich with the many cultural influences present and Day of the Dead is observed by many in the state. Sugar skulls are one of the most popular treats of the holiday enjoyed by children and adults alike. Here are the directions for making your very own colorful sugar skulls this fall.
One quick note: Try to avoid making these on a humid or rainy day since the moisture can affect the finished skulls.
Step 1: Gather the following items –
5-pound bag of granulated white sugar
1 cup of meringue powder
7 tablespoons water
Sugar skull molds
Mixing bowl
Decorations – sequins, bits of candy, glitter (these depend whether you want the entire skull to be edible or not)
Step 2: Make sure your mixing bowl will accommodate all dry ingredients and begin mixing only these ingredients at first, making sure they are well blended.
Step 3: Begin slowly adding your water to the mixture. The end goal is to have the texture similar to wet sand, to make this easier it may be necessary to spray the mixture ever so slightly with the mist setting of a water bottle.
Step 4: Next, add the mixture into the molds much like you would add sand to a bucket to make a sand castle. Pack the contents in well and flatten the back with a knife. Take a cutting board or a piece of firm plastic or cardboard and carefully slid the sugar skull out of the mold so that it is resting on the flat surface.
Step 5: After allowing the skulls to set for at least 24 hours, you are ready to decorate. Choose frosting, sequins, glitter, candy…whatever you would like and begin making a colorful skull that you can decorate your house with.
There are many pastry classes where you can learn to make seasonal favorites like this one in California culinary programs like those of Le Cordon Bleu.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Los Angeles, California. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Los-Angeles for more information.
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