• The oval or circular shape symbolizes the infinite love of God.
• The fruits that decorate it make reference to the gifts the Three Kings brought to Baby Jesus.
• The babies hidden inside symbolize when Joseph and Mary hid the baby Jesus to save him from King Herod.
  

Traditions in Mexico

You may be familiar with a similar cake eaten during Mardi Gras. In Mexico, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (January 6) gives rise to the Rosca de Reyes celebration.

Beginning several days before, children write letters to the Three Kings asking for them to bring a special gift. Then families gather on the 6th to receive gifts and share the Rosca de Reyes.

Whoever finds the hidden Baby Jesus in the Rosca becomes the Godfather of “Niño Dios” on February 2, the Christian feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. After the Mass, they invite family and friends to their home for a festival of tamales and atole (a sweetened hot drink of ground corn, chocolate, and sugar cane).

Artisan’s Rosca de Reyes is now available in store daily until supplies run out, but please call, Facebook message, or email us to pre-order and ensure yours will be ready!

1. Wet your scrubbing pad or dish cloth in warm soapy water with a mild soap
   • Scrub until all pieces of chocolate residue are gone
2. Rinse well under water and dry thoroughly with a towel.
   • After that, set or hang to dry before storing
3. Sanitize with vinegar and lemon juice periodically
   • While its not good to soak wooden utensils frequently, you can sanitize with vinegar to disinfect. Soak in equal parts vinegar and hot water for half an hour, then rinse and dry.
4. Extend life of the molinillo with food safe oil
   • Use a paper towel to wipe mineral oil or coconut oil over the molinillo. Let sit for 20-30 minutes and wipe off with a clean cloth. You can do this step before using for the first time as well to extend the life of the molinillo.

Buen Provecho!

You may have seen “Mexican Hot Chocolate” popping up in a coffee shops these days as a spicy chocolate beverage. Typically in Mexico, however, hot chocolate (aka chocolate caliente), is not spiked with hot pepper but rather cinnamon or vanilla for a lightly sweetened and flavorful treat. The chocolate of choice is usually a textured Abuelita or Ibarra – and its a feud just as Coca Cola or Pepsi! Also found regionally (near the hometown of Adalberto) is a similar chocolate, called Fronterra. (You can see from the ‘clumpiness’ in our mix that we use this textured style of chocolate).

So how do you use the molinillo? It can be used to both stir the chocolate and froth at the end. Let’s get started!

Stovetop (when you’ve got a crowd – at least 4 cups)

1. Add 4 cups of milk to a tall sauce pan and set to medium-high heat.
2. Add 1/2 cup Artisan’s Mexican Hot Chocolate mix into the milk mixture.
3. Stir as the milk heats up. At this point you can use the molinillo in a similar motion as a spoon – and hey – it won’t scratch!
4. When the milk is just about to boil and the chocolate is dissolved all the way, take the molinillo between your palms rub back and forth to produce a nice froth. Don’t be discouraged if you have to practice a few times before perfecting – it just means more chocolate to drink!
5. Clean your molinillo after enjoying your cup of Hot Chocolate!

Microwave (a cup or two)

You can use a mini molinillo with this, but a spoon works fine too!

1. Add 1 cup of milk to a mug and 2 tablespoons of Artisan’s Mexican Hot Chocolate mix. (Stir a little to make sure it breaks up).
2. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir again.
3. Microwave for an additional minute (or more, to melt the chocolate to your liking). You may end up with some chocolate not completely dissolved, but then you get yummy bits at the end!

What’s “Bate Bate” have to do with anything?

Originally a nursery rhyme about stirring hot chocolate, it is now a popular song on Dora the Explorer. Hum this little tune as you stir!

Bate, bate, chocolate,
tu nariz de cacahuate.
Uno, dos, tres, CHO!
Uno, dos, tres, CO!
Uno, dos, tres, LA!
Uno, dos, tres, TE!
Chocolate, chocolate!
Bate, bate, chocolate!
Bate, bate, bate, bate,
Bate, bate, CHOCOLATE!

Translation: bate (stir), tu narize de cacahuate (your peanut nose)

Buen provecho!

Taza is actually made in Massachusetts, but using the ancient techniques of the Mayans and Aztecs who roasted and shelled cocoa beans to yield edible “nibs.” The nibs get ground into a coarse liquor and then mixed with sugar – although much less sugar than traditional European or US chocolate. The end texture is very unique! Some have called it ‘sandy’ or ‘grainy’ – it is definitely not the smooth chocolate we are generally use to.

If you are familiar with the Mexican chocolate, Abuelita, you may be wondering how is it possible to eat this thing! In Mexico, the stone-ground chocolate is traditionally mixed with liquid and consumed as a drink. But craft chocolatiers, such as Taza have formulated their chocolate so that it is easier to eat. :0)

Ready to try it out? It is not ideal to make in our production workflow, so here’s what we recommend for building your own Chocolate Croissant:

1. Take half of one disc of Taza Chocolate and break with the scores on the chocolate.
2. Cut your Artisan regular croissant and place the chocolate on the bottom part.
3. Cover with the top and heat in the microwave for 1 minute.
4. After heating, let sit so the chocolate melts. (If you open it right away, the chocolate won’t be melted).

Buen Provecho!

Taza uses organic cacao beans in their chocolate and was a pioneer in ethical sourcing, being the first US chocolate maker to establish a third-party certified Direct Trade Cacao Certification program.

Both of our bakery owners are from Mexico and want to share a little of their culture and traditions with you all. Keep on reading to see how we are preparing for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)!

Papel Picado

…or pierced paper is a Mexican folk art. The authentic papel picado is made of tissue paper and then artisans perforate the paper with hammer and chisel to create the elaborate designs.

Significance of Papel Picado

This paper is not exclusively used for Day of the Dead. It can be used to celebrate other festivities and religious holidays but is most commonly seen around this time of year. For Day of the Dead the significance of this paper takes on a different meaning. The hanging papel picado represents the wind and the fragility of life.

Pan de Muerto

…or bread of the dead is a type of pastry commonly found this time of year. It is a sweet bread made with anise seeds. Our pan de muerto has anise seeds and orange blossom as well. The top of the bread is decorated with dough skulls and bones and arranged in a circle to represent the circle of life. If you have never tried pan de muerto stop by the bakery to try some. We will begin selling it Saturday, October 20th!

Want more info on Dia de los Muertos?

Check out this National Geographic article on the top 10 things to know about the Day of the Dead!

Remember your family and friends as you take a moment to sit back with a sweet treat, a mug of hot chocolate, color and decorate these photo frames before the craziness of the holiday season arrives.

Download below, or stop by our store to pick some up with your order of Pan de Muerto!

Learn more about Day of the Dead or try a fun sugar skull balloon craft with your kids!

Traditionally, sugar skulls are placed on altars of remembrance (ofrendas) with the names of deceased loved ones written across the forehead. Some people also give them to living friends as a reminder that the only sure thing in life is death. (You can learn more about Day of the Dead here).

And when you are done, celebrate with one of our Pan de Muerto and a cup of hot chocolate!

You will need:

• 1 white balloon
• black permanent markers (or colored if you want to get fancy!)

Download full PDF with more design ideas or follow along below.

Step 1

Blow up your balloon.

Step 2

Draw the eyes and nose. If you are making several balloons for small children to decorate, you can make a cardboard cutout of 2 large round eyes and a heart shaped nose, then have them trace that on the balloon.

Step 3

Draw a straight (or smiley, or frowny) line for the mouth. Draw ovals across it for the teeth.

Step 4

Draw S shaped and backward S shaped decorations

Step 5

Create the teardrop decoration

Step 6

Draw hearts and diamonds in between other decorations

All done!

Looking good.

You could get more intricate or simpler. The sky is the limit! Have fun and think of your family and friends the next few days as you look at your balloon sugar skull.

The history of Día de los Muertos goes back to central Mexico and the Aztec goddess Miclantecuhtl (“lady of the dead”). Her role was to guard the bones of the dead and govern over the festivals of the dead. The celebrations spread throughout Mexico and were observed in the summer until the 16th century
when they began to be associated with and take on traditions of the Christian celebrations of All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2). It was made a public holiday in Mexico as a unifying tradition.

In Día de los Muerto celebrations November 1 is known as Día de los innnocentes (Day of the Innocents or Holy Innocents), to remember children who have died in infancy. November 2 is the day to remember all who have passed away.

What are some traditions during these days?

There are many icons, images, and food associated with Day of the Dead. We’d like to share some common ones with you from the traditions of one of our owners, Adalberto.

Our ofrenda (or altar): Every year about a week before Día de los Muertos, we would build an altar in our house to honor our deceased family. We just had a few pictures, a sugar skull we bought with our family name printed on it, some bread (pan de muertos), and the traditional flowers, cempasuchil (marigolds).

Music: After we built the altar we were instructed to not make a lot of noise during the week as a sign of respect for the dead. If we had music, it was played softly and was favorite songs of the deceased.

Visiting the graves: Some people would take picnics or favorite foods of the dead to the places where they were buried. We went to clean the gravesites and pray for a little bit.

Calaveras: As I got older (author’s note: and more funny!), I started to write calaveras. These are funny poems about living friends or family that are related to death. Usually I write one big one with a line or two about each of my close friends.

It is made differently by each cook but has some ingredients you wouldn’t expect in a bread pudding – cheese and peanuts! Traditionally the bread used is the bolillo (similar to a French baguette) and when combined with raisins, cinnamon, cheese, and peanuts, the result is a delicious and unique blend of sweet and savory.

This recipe comes straight from Saltillo, Mexico – from the kitchen of my mother. It is a favorite of mine, one I made for the first date night with my wife!

You will need

• 4 bolillos or a large French baguette
• 1 package of Queso Fresco, sliced (found at most grocery stores)
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 1/2 cup of peanuts (or almonds)
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 cup of dark brown sugar or 3 piloncillos (cone shaped pieces of cane sugar)
• Coffee and/or milk (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with butter or coconut oil.
2. Boil 6-8 cups of water with cinnamon and brown sugar for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, slice bread into about ¾ inch slices and brown in a skillet with the oil of your choice.
4. (You can also toast it, or leave your fresh bread out for a day or two to dry).
5. Place bread in baking dish and sprinkle half of each of peanut and raisin on top. Cover with a cheese layer. Create a second layer of bread, peanut, raisin and cheese.
6. Taste syrup and add coffe and/or milk as desired. Pour your syrup over the bread until the bread is soaked and liquid is about halfway up the pan.
7. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings