CELEBRATE : CINCO DE MAYO PAN DULCE COMES IN MYRIAD SHAPES AND COLORS.Byline: Anna Macias Dallas Morning News As a child, Petra Carrera longed for evenings in her Mexican village of Salinas Victoria Salinas Victoria, is a municipality located to the north of the Monterrey metropolitan area in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. It shares borders with 11 municipalities including, to the north Villaldama and Sabinas Hidalgo; to the south Escobedo and Apodaca; to the east Higueras, , Nuevo Leon. At sunset, a baker known as Tio Ponposo walked from house to house balancing a basket of pan dulce on his head. When Petra's family had no money to buy bread, Ponposo gave her the crumbs CRUMBS is an improvisational theatre duo based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The duo consists of two actors, Stephen Sim, and Lee White. Other members include videographers, musicians, photographers, webmasters, illustrators, producers, agents, publicists, graphic at the bottom of his basket. Now, the Dallas homemaker has spent almost 20 years baking pan dulce (sweet bread) for her nine children and 10 grandchildren GRANDCHILDREN, domestic relations. The children of one's children. Sometimes these may claim bequests given in a will to children, though in general they can make no such claim. 6 Co. 16. . The mouthwatering mouth·wa·ter·ing or mouth-wa·ter·ing adj. Appealing to the sense of taste; appetizing: the mouthwatering aroma of a baking pie. flavor of pan dulce is embedded in the memories of most Mexican natives. Today, a number of panaderias (Mexican bakeries) throughout the country attempt to recapture that taste for immigrants who recall eating an array of Mexican pastries as breakfast, dinner and snack. ``It's difficult to give our bread the same flavor as authentic Mexican bread,'' says Fidencio Sanchez, owner of Chi-chen Itza Yucatan Bakery in Dallas. ``In Mexico, the bread is baked in stone ovens over a wood-burning fire. Here, we must use industrial-size ovens.'' Mexican sweet bread comes in dozens, perhaps hundreds, of varieties, some of which are not sweet at all. Most go well with coffee or hot chocolate. Pastries and cookies usually sell for 25 cents to 30 cents each. Besides being a daily staple in Mexico, pan dulce is served at parties and family reunions in Latino households. ``It's a great responsibility to bake everyone's daily bread,'' says Hugo Garcia of Ranchero ran·che·ro n. pl. ran·che·ros Southwestern U.S. A ranch owner; a rancher. [American Spanish, from rancho, small ranch; see ranch.] Bakery in Dallas. ``When my bread comes out of the oven at 6 a.m., a line has already formed outside of the store. As we begin rolling the racks of bread into the display area, people are already picking the bread off of the baking sheets.'' Mexican bakeries operate like a self-serve buffet. Customers select the breads they want and place them on trays with a set of tongs tongs long-handled, about 3 feet, shaped like pincers with knobs on the ends of the grasping blades. Applied by standing behind the subject in a confined space and closing the jaws to grasp the animal's head just below the ears. . Then they take the tray to the cash register, where the pieces are counted and placed in a paper bag. Tradition of baking Garcia and Sanchez both grew up in the bakery business. Sanchez started learning to knead knead tr.v. knead·ed, knead·ing, kneads 1. To mix and work into a uniform mass, as by folding, pressing, and stretching with the hands: kneading dough. 2. dough at age 5 from his father, who was a baker. Garcia grew up in a family of boys who worked in a bakery. He began helping with small tasks at the age of 11. Most pan dulce is made in panaderias. But some home bakers develop the knack. Carrera learned to bake because she loved sweet bread. In the early 1970s, her husband introduced her to a professional baker willing to divulge his secret recipes. She has perfected the technique after years of practice. ``I served my bread at church meetings, rosaries and as an after-school snack for my children,'' Carrera says. Taste of Mexico Lovers of pan dulce want the elusive taste of breads made in Mexico. ``I'm sure that the people who come eat the bread are trying to see if it tastes the same as it did in Mexico,'' Garcia said. ``That's not going to be possible since we don't have the same brick ovens. Still, our bread is considered to be very good.'' Sanchez traces the origins of pan dulce to the Spaniards and French who introduced leavened leav·en n. 1. An agent, such as yeast, that causes batter or dough to rise, especially by fermentation. 2. An element, influence, or agent that works subtly to lighten, enliven, or modify a whole. tr.v. dough to Mexico. Garcia believes the traditional brick oven was used by the Aztecs and adapted by the Europeans in Mexico. Some bakers suggest that a taste for pan dulce is acquired. Although panaderias have always prospered in Mexican neighborhoods, the bakers are puzzled about why sweet bread remains unfamiliar to many non-Latinos. Although Mexican foods from salsa to tacos have gained considerable popularity in recent years, pan dulce is not as well known. Sanchez believes the bread has not gained great popularity because it is perceived as being high in calories. He argues that although the bread usually contains shortening or lard, it is made of wholesome ingredients and can fit into a prudent diet, especially if it is consumed in the traditional Mexican way. ``I use lots of whole-wheat flour, milk and eggs,'' Sanchez says. ``The people of my village who eat this bread have few problems with weight. Their diet includes rice, beans and tortillas for lunch and a piece of sweet bread for breakfast and another piece of sweet bread for dinner.'' Types of pan dulce Mexican sweet breads have lyrical names and come in myriad shapes and colors. Here are descriptions of some popular breads and translations, where possible, of their names. These breads are traditionally served for a light breakfast with coffee or hot chocolate. They are also eaten as snacks and desserts. Pan de huevo: A spongy spongy /spon·gy/ (spun´je) of a spongelike appearance or texture. spong·y adj. Resembling a sponge in appearance, elasticity, or porosity. , bun-shaped yeast roll with a thin chocolate, vanilla or cinnamon-flavored sugar coating. Also known as concha concha /con·cha/ (kong´kah) pl. con´chae [L.] a shell-shaped structure. concha of auricle or sea shell. Empanada em·pa·na·da n. A Spanish or Latin-American turnover with a flaky crust and a spicy or sweet filling. [Spanish, from past participle of empanar, to coat with breadcrumbs : en-, : A baked turnover filled with sweet potato sweet potato, trailing perennial plant (Ipomoea batatas) of the family Convolvulaceae (morning glory family), native to the New World tropics. Cultivated from ancient times by the Aztecs for its edible tubers, it was introduced into Europe in the 16th cent. , pumpkin, apple or pineapple. Pan fino fi·no n. pl. fi·nos A pale, very dry sherry. [Spanish (jerez) fino, dry (sherry), from fino, fine, from Latin f : A ``fine bread'' for special occasions with cinnamon flavor and sugar coating. The names of breads made with this recipe change according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the shape and filling or icing. Some varieties include ``cuernito'' (little horn), a horn-shaped bread filled with sweet potato, pineapple or apple; puro (cigar), a cigar-shaped bread filled with strawberry; ``cono'' (cone), a flat bread shaped like an ice-cream cone with yellow icing; ``calzon'' (underwear), a diaper-shaped bread with yellow or pink icing; and ``guzano'' (worm), a bread shaped like a wavy worm with yellow or brown icing. Bunuelo: This bread resembles a deep-fried flour tortilla, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Unlike tortillas, however, the dough includes eggs, cinnamon and anise anise (ăn`ĭs), annual plant (Pimpinella anisum) of the family Umbelliferae (parsley family), native to the Mediterranean region but long cultivated elsewhere for its aromatic and medicinal qualities. . These pastries may be served year-round but are usually eaten at Christmas. Campechana: A flaky flaky - (Or "flakey") Subject to frequent lossage. This use is of course related to the common slang use of the word to describe a person as eccentric, crazy, or just unreliable. , sugar-glazed pastry that breaks into ``layers'' when you bite into it. Bolillo: A white bread that is good for making submarine sandwiches or ``tortas.'' It is also known as French bread or ``pan de sal'' (salt bread). Another version of this bread, shaped like a hamburger bun, is called a ``Margarita.'' Semita: A flat, round, nonrising bread flavored with anise, cinnamon and molasses molasses, sugar byproduct, the brownish liquid residue left after heat crystallization of sucrose (commercial sugar) in the process of refining. Molasses contains chiefly the uncrystallizable sugars as well as some remnant sucrose. . This bread is popular among diabetics because it is low in sugar. Oreja: Means ear. It's a hard, crunchy ear-shaped pastry coated with sugar. Polvoron: A shortbread cookie that can be flavored and colored with chocolate, strawberry or vanilla. Marranito: Means little pig. A gingerbread gingerbread In architecture and design, elaborately detailed embellishment, either lavish or superfluous. Though the term is occasionally applied to such highly detailed and decorative styles as the Rococo, it usually refers to the hand-carved and -sawn wood ornamentation of cookie in the shape of a pig. Cortadillo: A butter-flavored, yellow cake with colorful icing and candy sprinkles. PETRA'S EMPANADAS DE CERVEZA (Beer Empanadas) 8 cups all-purpose flour 3 cups vegetable shortening 1 can (12 ounces) beer (not light) 1 can (16 ounces) pineapple OR other fruit pie filling Granulated gran·u·late v. gran·u·lat·ed, gran·u·lat·ing, gran·u·lates v.tr. 1. To form into grains or granules. 2. To make rough and grainy. v.intr. or powdered sugar Grease a large baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour and shortening using 2 knives or a pastry blender. Add beer and mix to form a dough. Knead until dough forms a ball and can be handled without sticking. Roll dough into 30 balls about size of a small lime. Using a tortilla press or rolling pin, shape balls into flat rounds, similar to tortillas. Drop a tablespoonful pineapple filling in center and fold dough over into shape of a turnover. Pinch together edges of dough. Pierce top of empanada with a fork. Place empanadas on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven about 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Sprinkle each pastry with sugar while still warm. Makes about 30 empanadas. NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 326 calories; 21 grams fat; 0 cholesterol; 9 milligrams sodium. BASIC PAN DULCE 1 package dry yeast 1/2 cup lukewarm water Sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening 2 eggs, beaten Topping Stir together yeast, water, 1 tablespoon sugar and salt until yeast dissolves and bubbles. Add 1 3/4 cups flour and beat well. Cover and let stand in a slightly warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 to 50 minutes. Beat together shortening and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add to risen dough along with remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, beating well. Dough will be moderately soft. Cover and let rise again until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Turn out on a floured board. Divide dough into 12 equal-size pieces and form each piece into a round flat bun, about 4 inches in diameter. Place buns on a greased baking sheet. Spread 1/12 of Topping on each bun. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 50 to 60 minutes. Bake buns in preheated 400-degree oven about 15 minutes or until edges are golden. Makes 12 buns. TOPPING: Beat together until creamy 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, blending well. Add 1 egg yolk yolk (yok) the stored nutrient of an oocyte or ovum. yolk n. The portion of the egg of an animal that consists of protein and fat from which the early embryo gets its main nourishment and of and 2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour. Stir until crumbly crum·bly adj. crum·bli·er, crum·bli·est Easily crumbled; friable. crum  bli·ness n.Adj. 1. . NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: 286 calories; 8 grams fat; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 236 milligrams sodium. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Pan dulce, or Mexican sweet bread, comes ina rainbow of colors and a variety of novel shapes. Natalie Caudill Fish/Dallas Morning News |
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