Samhain and El Dia de los Muertos

Skull of sugar,
Bone of bread,
We offer these gifts
To our beloved dead

I hope everyone had a lovely Samhain. I suppose greetings for the new year are in order. Today is also El Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead. This festival coincides with the Catholic festivals of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, which occur on November 1 and 2, respectively. On this day families in Mexico visit the graves of loved ones. The graves are cleaned and decorated with fresh flowers. Marigolds are traditional.

Altars, or ofrendas, are constructed. These will hold a variety of objects including flowers, candles, figures of the Virgin Mary, pictures of the deceased, and the favorite foods and drinks of the deceased. Candy or small toys might be added for children. Offerings of food are also taken to the graves.

Popular symbols of this day are the calacas – skulls made of pressed sugar that are brightly decorated. This is not a festival of grief and sadness; it is a celebration of life and of the end we must all face. La Catrina is another common symbol. José Guadalupe Posada created a famous print of a figure that he called "La Calavera de la Catrina" ("calavera of the female dandy"), which quickly became a popular figure.

Traditional foods and beverages include atole, tequila or pulque, tamales and Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead). The bread is often decorated with bones made from dough.

Many of you may have remembered your ancestors in ritual last night, while some of you may choose to continue the observances through November 2. Last year I posted a recipe for Pan de Muerto. For those of you who prefer a different approach, I offer the recipe for Rosemary Remembrance cookies.

Rosemary, as many of you know, is an herb used in purification. It is also good for remembrance. Rosemary is also used for healing and love, making it the ideal herb for this time of year and for the remembrance of those who have passed through the veil.

You can make shortbread cookies with rosemary, but this recipe is more of a sugar cookie. Use gingerbread men cookie cutters to give the cookies human form, or use animal shapes if remembering pets/familiars.

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter or margarine (non-hydrogenated), at room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional; use 2 tsp. vanilla if not using almond)
1-2 teaspoons very finely minced rosemary
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla/almond extract. Mix well. Add in the flour slowly and mix on low speed (if not mixing by hand) until dough starts to come together. Sprinkle in the rosemary and gently fold in.

Divide the dough into two rounds and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375. Unwrap the dough on a floured table or counter. Work with half the dough at a time. Keep the other half in the fridge to stay cool. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough. Cut out your people and animal shapes, as well as pumpkins, skulls, bats, or any other shapes you desire. Place the cookies onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Give them room to bake by placing them about ½ inch apart.

Bake the cookies 6-8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container if you do not use/eat them all.