Vegan Recipe ~ Pan De Muertos

Although it may sound dreary, El Día de Muertos, or “the day of the dead,” is a joyous celebration of life in Latin American countries. In my native Dominican Republic, we celebrate November 1st as the day of “all the Saints,” and November 2nd as the “day of the deceased,” or “all Soul’s day.”

In Mexico, the celebration of El Día de Muertos also includes delicious food and other offerings, including Pan de Muertos (bread of the dead), which is a sweetened soft roll decorated with bone-inspired designs, and eaten at the gravesite, shrine or altar of the beloved ones that have passed away.

This year, my family decided to try this recipe and honor our very own difuntos and difuntas, our ancestors who have moved on to the other side of the veil.

Elisha and Elyssa love baking, and we all love putting our creativity to work to make a yummy vegan masterpiece, so this was a wonderful experience.

When you learn to delegate age appropriate responsibilities to your kids, they feel confident and empowered, and you get to sit back and relax, and that’s exactly what I did for this Pan de Muertos recipe. Even Little Pige had a part in helping out!

Want to make Pan de Muertos with your family? Here’s a vegan recipe for you!

Ingredients for the Dough:

½  cup of water
½  cup Almond Milk
½  cup of vegan butter
4 tablespoons of ground flax
12 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of whole Anise Seeds
3 cups of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (or Trix cereal)
5 ½  cups All Purpose Flour
2 packages of Active Dry Yeast
½  cup cane sugar

Anise seeds are aromatic spicy seeds that are believed in my culture to possess amazing medicinal properties: anti-oxidant, disease preventing, and health promoting. My grandpa taught us to make anise seeds tea whenever we felt like we were coming down with a stomach issue, or even the flu, among other ailments.

And since honoring our ancestors is what El Día de Muertos is all about, I think my grandpa is proud to see I still cherish and follow his advice, and admire his wisdom.

Ingredients for the Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons grated orange zest

In a saucepan over medium temperature, heat the vegan butter, vegan milk and water until very warm but not quite boiling.
In a blender, combine your ground flax and water until it has a creamy consistency. This will be your egg substitute.
Get your General Mills cereal and pour it in a plastic bag. Crush the cereal into very small pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of flour, yeast, anise seeds and sugar.
Put in 2 cups of the crushed cereal. Beat in the warm liquid until well combined.
Add the ground flax mixture and beat in another cup of flour.
Continue adding more flour until dough is soft but not sticky.
Knead on lightly floured board for ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
Lightly grease a bowl and place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap or tin foil,  and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.
After risen, punch the dough down and shape the loaves into a death-inspired shape or figure, like dough in the shape of human bones, or tears that are shed for the loved ones we’ve lost.
Let the loaves rise for an hour.

While they’re rising, make the glaze:

Combine sugar, orange zest, and orange juice
Put the mix into a saucepan and let it boil for about 5 minutes.

After the hour has passed, put the glaze on the loaves.
Sprinkle the leftover crushed cereal on the loaves.
Bake in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 40 minutes.
Remove your fluffy Pan de Muertos from oven and allow to cool.

As you serve your warm Pan de Muertos, create a safe environment for your family members to talk openly about their thoughts and feelings on family relationships, family history, and the afterlife.

Because death is an inescapable part of life, it’s important to prepare our children for the inevitable, ease their fears, debunk their misconceptions, and enhance their understanding.

In all seriousness, watching Bambi can help, but the loss of a beloved cartoon friend, or even a treasured pet feels different than losing people you know and love. When we see death as a part of life, a progression, and we take part in rituals to keep our predecessors close, the grieving levels can diminish. And what better way than with a sweet belly? He he.

For more recipes, videos, and coupons, visit the the Cereal Cariño landing page and search your favorite social networks with:  #CerealconCariño and #DíadeLosMuertos!

Would yo be trying this Pan de Muerto recipe? What traditions do you observe to remember those you love? Tell us more below! xoXO

[ela]