Buñuelos de viento =  light as air fritters that are melt in a crunchy type of way delicious. These Mexican fritters are made with a rosette and so easy to make. I know for many people buñuelos are made by rolling out dough or frying a flour tortilla, and I do celebrate that type as well. This year I wanted to make a fancy version for my posada , so I decided to give the rosette a try. In essence a buñuelo is a fritter, it could be shaped in a ball, or flat as a disk, but if it’s deep fried and powdered with cinnamon/sugar then it’s a buñuelo.

Buñuelos are certainly enjoyed throughout Christmas time and served with a hot glass of champurrado. I feel like I’m over explaining this delicate crisp friend of mine, when all I really need to say is …. if you’ve never had a buñuelo…. now is the time. Enjoy them this posada season and never look back.

Watch the short video at the very bottom of this post to see exactly how to make these treats.

Ingredients for buñuelos de viento:

• 2 – eggs
• 1 – tablespoon vanilla
• 2 – tablespoons sugar
• 1 – cup milk
• 1 – cup flour
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt
• vegetable oil for frying
• rosette set
• cinnamon sugar mixture

Directions:

1. In a bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla. 
2. Add in the sugar and whisk well.
3. Add in the milk and whisk to combine completely. 
4. In a separate bowl mix flour and salt together then sift into the egg/milk mixture. Whisk to combine. It should have the consistency of a thick cream.  
5. Set batter to the side for 10 minutes.
6. In a small frying pan fill with 2 inches deep of frying oil. Place pan over a medium flame and allow to get hot.
7. Place rosette on the timbale and place to locked position. Then dip the rosette into the hot oil allowing it to get hot. 
8. Remove it from the oil and blot off excess oil.
9. Then dip the rosette into the batter, but make sure to leave the top of the rosette exposed. Do not submerge it all the way. 
10. Then dip the rosette back into the hot oil. Fry the batter for about 20 seconds then the rosette will easily slip off. Once the rosette slips off, place it to the side and use thongs to flip the buñuelo over and cook it on the inside.
11. Let fry until golden crisp.
12. Drain each buñuelo on a paper towel lined plate.
13. Then dip the buñuelos into the cinnamon sugar mixture and serve. 
14. Enjoy!

Here’s the skinny… My mom and Auntie Rosie have been on a crafting roll lately…. Every time I check in with my Mom she goes on and on telling me about the candy wreaths her and my aunt have been making, if that’s not enough she’s even sending pictures and blowing up my instagram feed with her crafty creations. I have to admit…. I was a little jealous I couldn’t join them due to an over abundance of work this year. Usually I’m in the thick of the craft projects with them.

A few days later my Mom and I were doing our weekly run to Walmart for all things needed, and she says to me “Are you sure you don’t have time to make a candy tree? We could buy everything here at Walmart, then go home and make some. It won’t take that long.” I got so happy, I smiled and said “Alright. Twist my arm to spend some quality Mom and daughter time making food crafts!” She new I was bummed and was dying to get crafty…. plus I knew I could always share / blog about it.

Once my tree was done, I thought it to be so whimsical and old fashioned at the same time. I imagined it being part of the set of an old Rudolph cartoon with a blaze of snow blowing past it. My Mom and I placed our trees side by side when we were done and photographed them. She made her’s covered in gummy bears and I made mine of sour cherry candies with a white star on top. HAPPINESS = A MERRY CHRISTMAS

What you’ll need for a Candy Christmas Tree:

• glue sticks
• glue gun
• styrofoam cone
• styrofoam circle stand / base for cone (optional)
• green tape (or any other color that suits your needs)
• candy
• sequins ribbon (optional)
• craft stars
• garland / tinsel
• scissors

Instruction:

1. Plug in glue gun and insert glue stick…allow to get hot.
2. Glue base/stand to styrofoam cone.  
3. Working in 2 to 3 inch long pieces, cover the cone from top to bottom in tape. 
4. Once the entire cone is covered, tape up the bottom and top too.
5. Using little dabs of glue from the glue gun, stick on the first piece of candy. Work your way all around to form the first ring. 
6. Then measure the circumference of the tree with the sequin ribbon. Cut where the two ends meet and glue it on between each roll of candy rings. 
7. Once you reach the bottom glue the garland / tinsel around the bottom of the base. 
8. Either glue the star directly on top of the tree or I used pom pom balls between the tree and the star.
9. It’s that simple.
10. Enjoy!

The funny thing is I learned how to make a complete Thanksgiving meal from start to finish in my early twenties. It was something I wanted to know how to do. I felt by having the classic all American feast under my belt, it was like earning a well deserved medal. My Auntie Rosie showed me the basic ropes and since then I have made my way testing and switching up ingredients every year to get to my ultimate dinner on the table. I personally crave the combination of sweet with my savory. I like to have several options for candied dishes on my big plate of savory to mix and match between cranberry sauce and turkey or yams with stuffing. Some people think of the yams as a dessert when paired with marshmallows, but seriously they belong on the main plate. There is plenty of other desserts to choose from and yams and apples shouldn’t be one of them.

This simple dish can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. When ready for the big feast… pop it in the oven to bake. Check out this easy to make recipe and find all the ingredients at your local Walmart….. I did.

Ingredients for apple yam crumble:

• 1 – cinnamon stick
• 4 – medium sized yams (peeled and cut into 1″ cubes)
• 6 – small granny smith apples (peeled, cored, and sliced)
• 1/2 – cup brown sugar
• 4 – tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 – cup honey
• 1 – cup mini marshmallows

CRUMBLE:

• 1 – cup brown sugar
• 1 – cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 – cup flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 – stick butter (melted)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In a medium saucepan halfway filled with water over a medium flame add in cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.
3. Peel and cut yams and apples. 
4. Boil yams in water for 10 minutes. 
5. Drain yams and remove cinnamon stick.  Set yams to the side.
6. Butter a 11×8 casserole dish, and add apples and boiled yams in. Mix to combine.  Set to the side. 
7. In a small saucepan over a medium low flame melt sugar and butter together. Mix until combined. Add in honey and mix until fully incorporated.
8. Pour over the yam and apples. Mix to ensure all yams and apples are coated in sugar honey mixture. 
9. Top with marshmallows. Set to the side. 
10. Let’s make the crumble.
11. Add sugar, graham cracker, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl. Mix to combine.
12. Add in pecans, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix with hands until fully combined.
13. Spread crumble over the entire top of yams and apples. 
14. Bake for 35 minutes.
15. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
16. Enjoy! 

Yes, I have been known to tag along with my Mom every where she goes, and she loves to go to Walmart. Every Monday, like clockwork she makes her Walmart grocery run, and I come along and pick up the items I need too. This past Monday as we were driving, I was saying I wanted to do some kind of edible Thanksgiving craft with my son. The craft would serve as an introduction to the holiday and somewhat explain to him what the feast represents in the simplest form. My Mom asked what I was going to make, and I told her I would probably make some type of rice krispie treat since I know that is something he will definitely eat. Sometimes a food craft is the best way for me to teach my 4 year old the joys of the holidays. That’s the exact method my Mom and Aunts taught me with.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and make this cute little craft with the kids before the feast. It also would be a fun activity for the kids to partake in after the holiday dinner. Keep them busy decorating their own dessert. 🙂

Ingredients for Thanksgiving rice krispie turkey treats:

• 3 – tablespoons butter (plus a little extra to rub on your hands)
• 1 – package (10 ounces) jet-puffed marshmallows
• 6 – cups rice krispies cereal
• frosting or royal icing
• pretzel sticks
• colorful licorice
• candy corn
• edible candy eyes

Directions:

1. In a large pot over a low flame add in butter and stir until melted.
2. Add in marshmallows.
3. Stir until completely melted. Remove from flame.
4. Stir in the rice krispie cereal in until completely coated. 
5. Butter your hands, and spray a 1/2 cup measuring cup with non stick spray.
6. Fill the measuring cup with the warm cereal mixture.
7. Shape with your hands to form a ball. Repeat till all cereal mixture is gone.
8. Place cereal balls on a baking mat or lined cookie sheet. 
9. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes.

Let’s Decorate:

First start by sliding pieces of licorice onto a pretzel stick. Leave about 1/4 of an inch at the bottom of the stick exposed. This will be the part that you stick into the rice krispie treat ball to form the feathers of the turkey.

Once all licorice feathers are in place in the back of the turkey body, it is time to work on the face. Using frosting or royal icing stick a candy corn into the front center of the ball. Then stick two candy eyes about the candy corn.

I also added two candy corn to the bottom as feet and two to the side as wings. There are no rules….. Have fun with your turkey!

Make way for the cranberry sauce… I never understood why anyone would serve cranberry sauce out of a can. That weird gelatinous tube with the indents from the can still imprinted in it’s side. No wonder I refused to eat it as a young girl. It wasn’t till my teenage years that I witnessed a friend of mine make it fresh. I was not only facsinated with the process, but couldn’t believe how incredibly easy it was to make. People add cinnamon and all sorts of other things to the versitale cranberry sauce, I decided to add tangy hibiscus to the tart cranberry for an exquisite side to my turkey this Holiday season. Enjoy!

Ingredients for cranberry hibiscus sauce:

• 1/2 – cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 2 1/2 – cups water
• 2 – cups sugar
• 24 – ounces fresh cranberries

Directions:

1. In a pot over a medium flame add in hibiscus flowers and water.  
2. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. 
3. Remove flowers from water. 
4. Pour sugar into the hibiscus water, and mix until sugar is completely dissolved. 
5. Bring mixture to a boil, creating a hibiscus syrup.
6. Add in cranberries. 
7. Mix cranberries to coat in hibiscus syrup.
8. After about 5 to 10 minutes you will hear the cranberries start to pop. At this point take a potato masher and smash the mixture down, until all cranberries have popped. 
9. Place mixture in a bowl, and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours or until mixture firms. 
10. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post between Latina Bloggers Connect and The National Peanut Board. However the recipe and all opinions are 100% my own.

I feel like I have been hanging by a thread lately. I’m not complaining… I’m just working hard everyday to meet deadlines and get to all my work in a timely manner. As my workload expands and the needs of my 4 year old son grow,  I find more than ever I need help getting through my day and deep into my night. A fast snack I like to eat: Peanut butter and apple. The peanut butter has 7 grams of energy boosting protein per serving, which helps me get through y day. Or I”l reach for a handful of peanuts to pop in my mouth as I run around. Peanuts or peanut butter really provide a lasting energy, and are so super affordable. I always keep a pouch of peanut butter in my purse or a little packet of peanuts, because I never know when I’m gonna need it especially with the holidays upon us.

Going off the subject a little…. My son has taken a serious interest in my pantry. I can’t tell you how many times a day he pulls out ingredients and makes suggestions of what we can make. He’ll pull out salt, flour, peanut butter, and sugar and ask if we could make a cake or cookies or strawberry pancakes. I love that he is becoming familiar with everything that goes into kitchen recipe making. Most of the time I have to turn down his request because I’m busy with something else. The other day I wanted to indulge his new found interest of the kitchen, and I suggested we make some calavera candy to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos. His cute little eyes lit up and he smiled and said “Do we use peanut butter in it?” I told him sure… we will use peanut butter in it!

Ingredients for Potato Peanut Butter Calavera Candy:

• 1/2 – cup mashed potato (about 1 potato)
• 2 1/2 – tablespoons half and half
• 1 – teaspoon vanilla
• a pinch of salt
• 10 – cups powdered sugar
• 1 – cup peanut butter (smooth)
• chopped peanut pieces

Directions:

1. Peel and chop a potato. Then boil the potato for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potato and mash. Do not add anything to the potato. Let cool completely. 
2. In a mixer add mashed potatoes, half and half, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Mix until everything is combined and it becomes a dough like texture. Not sticky to the touch. 
3. Powder a clean work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar. Working in quarters roll out your first batch of dough. I sprinkled the top of the dough with powdered sugar as well. 
4. Roll the potato candy out to 1/4 inch thickness. Then with a skull cookie cutter, cut out as many skulls as possible. Re-roll scraps and cut out more skulls. 
5. With a small pairing knife cut out the eyes and nose of the calavera / skull on half of the cutouts.
6. The other half should be placed on a wax paper lined baking sheet and generously spread with peanut butter. 
7. Then take all the calaveras / skulls with the cut out eyes and place them on top of the peanut butter layer. Press in little pieces of peanuts into the mouth area to form the skeleton teeth.
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Enjoy! 

The other day I was driving with my girlfriend A-dre and I told her how I just LOVE these cherries that Melissa’s Produce sends me from time to time. I went on to tell her they are unlike any cherry I have ever had. No farmers market, or specialty market has ever offered me a cherry so fine. PERFECT is the only word that comes to mind when trying to describe them. They are firm with no mush, they are sweet and juicy, and delightful. Unfortunately they are almost out of season, but in the meantime we should celebrate every moment eating these fine specimens.  Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I will miss my sweet cherries! 

Ingredients For Pecan Cherry Pancakes:

• 1 1/2 – cups flour
• 2 – teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 – tablespoons sugar
• 2 – eggs
• 1 1/2 – cups buttermilk
• 1 – cup milk
• 3 1/2 – tablespoons butter (melted and cooled)
• 1/2 – teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 – cup chopped pecans
• 15 – cherries (pitted and cut in half) (I use Melissa’s Produce)
• butter or nonstick spray
• maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Give it a good whisk.
2. In a separate bowl combine eggs, buttermilk, milk, butter, and vanilla, then mix really well.
3. Then add the flour mixture to the milk mixture. Mix together until combined. You don’t want your mixture to be perfectly smooth. Leave some lumps in there.
4.  In a large frying pan lightly brush with melted butter or mist with a non stick cooking spray and place over a medium flame. Allow pan to get hot then take 1/4 cup of batter and pour into pan…. the batter will spread slightly then top with a 3 cherry halves and a pinch of pecans.
5. Cook for 5 minutes or until the batter starts to have little holes in it. Some will even pop.
6. Flip pancake and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from flame and spread butter on top and drizzle with syrup.
7. Enjoy!