Celebrate Day of the Dead with some of these Fall Favorites!

Day of the Dead is upon us! For those who don't know, Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos) is a time for family and friends to get together and remember lost loved ones. If you're looking for a couple of different fall recipes for your family and friends, try these Hippocrene Books favorites!

The new hardcover edition of Muy Bueno: Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor has much to choose from including the La Llorona and Tres Leches Pumpkin Flan. The La Llorona looks and tastes amazing. The dry ice effect is also one that coincides with the haunting, but spirtual element to the day. As for the Tres Leches, well, what can we say? Pumpkin and comfort food. It just makes sense.

Learn more about the traditions of Day of the Dead with this beautiful video from Yvette of Muy Bueno: 

La Llorona

Makes 1 drink

This intoxicating drink was inspired by a Halloween night when I was using dry ice in a punch bowl. The eerie trail of wispy smoke created by the dry ice looked like the long, flowing gown worn by La Llorona. La Llorona, according to ancient Mexican folklore, was a beautiful woman who drowned her children to be with a man and when he wanted nothing to do with her, she lost her mind. In the afterlife, she walks up and down bodies of water, wailing and looking for her children. It’s a conversation starter for a Halloween party, but you can skip the dry ice for a yummy drink year-round.

Ingredients

3 ounces Pisco Brandy

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

1½ tablespoons granulated sugar

Crushed ice

Dash of Angostoria bitters

Dry ice (optional) (see note)

Directions

In a cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice, combine brandy, juices, and sugar. Cover, shake vigorously for 15 seconds, and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with a few drops of bitters. Add some dry ice for a spooky effect.

Note: Dry ice is quite safe to use in drinks, but you should not touch it. Wait for the ice to melt before actually drinking it as it can burn your skin. 

Tres Leches Pumpkin Flan

Flan de Calabaza y Tres Leches

8 to 10 Servings

Ingredients

½ cup granulated sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, room temperature

2 egg yolks, room temperature

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1½ cups milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup fresh pumpkin puree or organic pumpkin puree from a can

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with cooking spray.

2. Cook sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes or until melted and medium-brown in color. Drizzle the sugar mixture into the bundt pan and then swirl the caramelized sugar around to coat the bottom of the pan. (Because of the temperature change when coating the bundt pan, the sugar may harden quickly, don’t worry, once the flan is added and baked it will liquefy into a beautiful golden syrup.)

3. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer in a large bowl for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add eggs and egg yolks and beat until well blended. Slowly add all three milks and the vanilla, and beat at low speed for 1 minute.

4. Add pumpkin puree and spices and continue to mix for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour mixture into prepared bundt pan. (Mixture may be slightly lumpy. If you want a smooth flan then strain the mixture before you pour it into the bundt pan.)

5. Place bundt pan in a roasting pan. Place roasting pan on the center rack of oven and add hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until edges are set (the center will not be set).

6. Remove roasting pan from oven and remove bundt pan from water. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely for at least 1 hour.

7. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.

8. Carefully run a butter knife around edges to loosen, and invert flan onto a serving platter. 

You can also try something from The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi. We recommend the Grilled Apple Pie. Between the grilled apples inside and the warm, flaky crust on the outside, this dish will have you come back for more.

Grilled Apple Pie

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

4 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

1/2 cup light agave nectar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground canela (cinnamon can be substituted)

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large, tart apples, such as Granny Smiths, peeled, cored and sliced into ½-inch thick rounds

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup canola oil

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and the grill to medium heat.

2. Line a 9-inch pie plate with parchment paper and set aside.

3. To prepare the crust, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse-process just to combine. Add the cold pieces of butter and process to a coarse meal. With the motor running, add the cold water through the feed tube and process just until a solid mass of dough forms. Remove the dough, divide in two, and wrap each piece tightly in wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. Meanwhile, to prepare the filling, stir the agave nectar, brown sugar, canela, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. Toss the apple slices with the lemon juice and oil in a separate bowl. Grill the apple slices until just tender and lightly marked, turning once, approximately 8 minutes total. Remove grilled apple slices to the large bowl with the brown sugar mixture and immediately toss well to coat. Set aside to macerate and cool slightly.

5. Once the dough has chilled through, use a well-floured rolling pin to roll out one piece of the dough on a well-floured surface to a thickness of approximately ¼ inch. Carefully drape the rolled dough over the prepared pie plate, pressing it gently into place and trimming the edges to fit the rim of the plate. Layer the apple slices in the crust until all are used. Pour any remaining brown sugar mixture in the bowl over the stacked apples. Roll out the second piece of dough the same way and drape over the apples. Trim excess and pinch top and bottom crust edges together, crimping as desired. Slash 6 small vents in the top of the pie.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the edges are deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly before serving. This pie is especially delicious when served warm with cajeta generously ladled over top.

YIELD: approximately 8 servings