Day of the Dead Bread

Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2, when offerings are made to deceased relatives. The holiday is primarily celebrated in Mexico and coincides with Halloween and All Souls' Day. The food offerings are meant to honor the dead, and families often hold picnics at their family member graves. There are a variety of traditional foods, including candy skulls, tamales, and other treats. But I personally love Day of the Dead bread, known as Pan de Muerto. I usually buy some at a local Mexican bakery. It is always delicious, but I thought I would try making it myself this year.

Day of the Dead bread is a sweet egg bread. It is often covered in colored sugar, but I skipped the sugar. I made a single large loaf, but smaller individual sized buns could be easily made. During the second rise, set aside some of the dough for the decorative elements on top of the bread. I attempted to make crossbones, but sometimes the extra dough is shaped into a skull. I used anise and orange zest. The anise is what makes this bread special. Sometimes cinnamon is added to the dough.

 Day of the Dead Bread 

• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk 
• 4 Tbsp. butter, softened 
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1 tsp. salt 
• 2 tsp. instant yeast 
• 3 large eggs, divided 
• 3 cups flour 
• 1 tsp. anise seed 
• 1 tsp. orange zest

Combine all the ingredients except one egg white. Set aside the egg white in the refrigerator for the egg wash. When all the ingredients are blended, knead the dough for a few minutes until the dough is smooth. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about two hours. The dough will increase in size, but will not quite double. 

Break off a piece of dough a little larger than a golf ball and place that dough in the refrigerator. Shape the remaining dough into a ball, place the dough into a greased 9-inch round pan, and flatten the dough. Allow the dough to rise, for about two hours.

Heat the oven to 350. Using the egg white mixed with a tablespoon of water, brush the top of the bread with the egg wash. Using the set aside dough, form a decorative shape, such as crossbones and place on top of the bread. Brush the entire top of the loaf with the egg wash. Bake the bread for about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Although this recipe is not from Mom, it has become a family favorite. I love just about all things pumpkin. I found a variation of the recipe somewhere that I can no longer recall the source. Since I first made this recipe, I made several adjustments to suit my preferences. These delicious cookies are now popular at family parties, especially in the fall when pumpkin is everywhere. Even people who don't particularly like pumpkin like these cookies.

This recipe makes a lot of cookies. Fortunately, these cookies freeze well, so they can be enjoyed for a long time. And the cookies stay soft and moist, even after being defrosted. I prefer using milk chocolate chips, but use any kind of chips you like. I really like the combination of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and you can use more or less of each spice to suit your preferences.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the over to 350. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Add vanilla and pumpkin puree. Mix in baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix in the flour until fully blended. Stir in the chips. Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

Megan's Pulled Pork

A while back, Meg made pulled pork for a regular Saturday night at Mom's house. It was delicious. Her secret was cooking the pork in a slow cooker soaking in root beer. It turns out that this method is not so secret, but in my book, Meg gets credit for it. Be sure to use regular root beer because the sugar, as opposed to artificial sweetener, is what is soaked into the meat.

The key to this recipe is time, not effort. Just put the pork in a slow cooker with root beer for a few hours, shred the pork, then add barbecue sauce. Pulled pork can be eaten on its own, as a sandwich, on a salad, or any other way you want. Because the slow cooker can be set on warm, this is a great recipe for a party.

Megan's Pulled Pork 

• 3 to 4 pound pork shoulder
• 1 can root beer
• 1 bottle (18 oz) barbecue sauce

Place the pork and root beer in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for about 4 hours. Remove the meat and discard the cooking juices. Using forks, shred the pork. Return the meat to the slow cooker, add barbecue sauce and cook on low for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Mint Pesto

As I've mentioned before, Mom's mint plants have taken over her garden. So, with the abundance of mint, I have been making this mint pesto. It is amazing how much mint it takes to make just a little bit of pesto. Rather than complaining about too much mint, I'll just keep making this pesto recipe to use up all the mint. This pesto is delicious on crackers, but I have been adding it to salads instead of salad dressing. However you serve it, you'll enjoy this pesto.

Although pesto is traditionally made with basil, you can just substitute mint for an excellent pesto. The name pesto originates from the Italian word that means to pound or crush. Back in the day, pesto was made using a mortal and pestle. Luckily for us, we have food processors that take so much of the work out of making pesto. Also, I substituted slivered almonds for pine nuts, which are more commonly used in pesto. The amounts listed below are approximate amounts; you may need to adjust to suit your preferences. The pesto will last about a week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer.

Mint Pesto

• 2 cups mint leaves
• 1/2 cup nuts, such as almonds or pine nuts
• 1/8 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olice oil
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• dash of salt

Add all the ingredients to a food processor. Blend until the ingredients are broken down and blended to your desired consistency. Enjoy!

Mint Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

This recipe is not a family recipe, although zucchini bread is a favorite especially when made by Jenny. But this recipe uses the fresh mint that is prolifically growing in Mom's garden, so I think it qualifies for sharing here. I wasn't sure that that mint chocolate chip would go with zucchini, but this recipe proves that it does.

The mint leaves blend in well with the zucchini in this bread, so you won't notice the actual mint leaves too much. But the mint flavor comes through nicely. The next time I make this recipe, I might use even more mint. I might also use fewer chocolate chips. As much as I love chocolate, I think I added too much, so I adjusted the recipe below.

 Mint Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread 

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup finely shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Blend in the sugar, zucchini, cooking oil, and egg until well mixed. Fold in the mint and chocolate chips. Pour batter into a greased 8x4 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool bread before slicing. Enjoy!

Lefse

I have strong childhood memories of Lefse, but Lefse is not one of my family's recipes. Lefse is a soft potato flat bread that can be made with leftover mashed potatoes. I first met Stephanie Schmidt in sixth grade at Hauser Junior High. Stef's family had a wonderful tradition of making Lefse in large batches, usually around the holidays. Lefse production was a family affair, and each person in the Schmidt Family was assigned to a specific task, such as rolling out the dough or manning the griddle. My specialty was eating the Lefse. Often, the Lefse is spread with butter, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and rolled up. But Lefse can be eaten with any sweet or savory filling, so its uses are endless. Lefse is especially delicious fresh off the griddle, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or freezer for a few months, then just warmed up when you want to enjoy it.

Lefse is a Norwegian treat that is especially common in Minnesota. Earlier this year, I spent a week in Minnesota and was reminded of the deliciousness of Lefse. I knew I had try making it, even though I did not have some of the special equipment. Lefse is often made on a large circular griddle that results in a 16-inch round Lefse. I only had a small griddle, so I made about a 10-inch round Lefse. There is a traditional grooved rolling pin, but I just used my standard rolling pin. Finally, there is a Lefse stick that is used to flip the Lefse, a special skill. I just used a spatula. So even though my Lefse were not made under authentic circumstances, they were just as delicious as I remember.

Lefse

yields a dozen 10-inch Lefse

• 1 pound potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 to 2 cups flour, plus more for rolling

Peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and place in a mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes and eliminate any lumps. Cut the butter into and mix with the potatoes. Add the milk and salt. Thoroughly blend the potatoes. Refrigerate the potatoes overnight.

Prepare a flat surface for rolling out the Lefse. Mix the mashed potatoes with 1 to 2 cups of the flour. Initially, the dough will be crumbly, but the mixture will gradually start coming together. Turn the dough out on the floured surface and knead the dough to bring it together. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a flat and round shape. Dust with flour if the dough is too sticky.

Set a flat griddle over medium-high heat.  Cook each Lefse for 1-2 minutes on each side until speckled with golden-brown spots. Keep the Lefse under the towel to prevent them from drying out.

Enjoy the Lefse rolled up with the traditional butter and cinnamon or any topping you prefer. Enjoy!

Strawberry Cheese Pie

I found this recipe in Mom's recipe box. Like many other no-bake cheesecake recipes, it is a great option when the weather is hot. This recipe is so easy and delicious, there is no excuse not to make it yourself. I followed the recipe and used strawberries to top the pie, but any topping could be used, such as any fruit you prefer. The pie would also be excellent drizzled with melted chocolate.

Making a graham cracker crust is simple, so resist to the urge to buy a pre-made crust. Dream Whip is a powdered whipped topping that can be found near the powdered pudding mixes in some grocery stores. Or, substitute about one to two cups of cool whip for the prepared Dream Whip.

Strawberry Cheese Pie 

• 1 Graham Cracker Pie Shell
• 1 package Dream Whip (prepared as directed)
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Prepare the Dream Whip following the directions. Cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat in the Dream Whip. Pour into the pie shell and chill for several hours. When ready to serve, garnish with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!