pan dulce

How to Make Pan de Anis

13 · Jan 12, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Pan de anis is a type of Mexican pan dulce that comes in various shapes, but always has anise seed to give it its flavor.

My favorite version of these sweet, pillowy anise rolls known as pan de anis are a staple at the famous El Cardenal restaurant in Mexico City, which has been serving traditional Mexican dishes in the capital since 1969 and has an extraordinary bread and pastry service. If you’ve ever eaten breakfast at El Cardenal, then it’s possible you’ve passed over this pan dulce for a concha or other sweet bread you recognize. And while their conchas are amazing, you’ve been missing out if you’ve never ordered these anise rolls!

Mexican anise rolls in a square baking pan, topped with sugar

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Roles de canela

18 · Oct 20, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Roles de canela are one of the most common types of pan dulce you’ll see in a Mexican bakery. These fluffy cinnamon rolls have a dough base made from masa bizcocho, the same dough that’s used to make conchas and other popular types of pan dulce.

I love making these cinnamon rolls around the holidays, especially when I’m visiting family or they’re visiting me. Cooking for my family is my love language, so a breakfast spread with fluffy homemade cinnamon rolls hot from the oven, served with milk, hot chocolate or coffee on the side is an extra special way to let them know how much I love them. In fact, some of my happiest family holiday memories are of sitting around the table together, enjoying a meal and each other’s company.

mexican cinnamon rolls drizzled with icing

If you’re a pan dulce-lover you should check out my Guide to Mexican Pan Dulce with photos and descriptions of dozens of types of Mexican sweet bread! Some of my other favorite types of pan dulce to make at home include conchas, pan de muerto, orejas, and garibaldi.

It’s important that when baking for my family that I use traditional recipes that taste just like they always have, which means no skimping or substituting ingredients. It’s got to taste like it came from abuelita’s kitchen!

Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe

It’s easier to make your own roles de canela than you might think! The hardest part is waiting for the dough to rise twice. You can also make this dough the night before and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight.

There are three key ingredients to making the dough that you should not substitute.

Whole milk: Many baking recipes call for whole milk because it provides structure, flavor and moisture. The fat in whole milk also contributes to the tenderness of the bread.

Whole milk not only serves as a crucial structural ingredient to this recipe, but also helps achieve that perfectly browned color on top, while keeping the inside moist and fluffy.

milk in a pitcher in the foreground in front of a pan of mexican cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven

Bread flour: You want to use this because it contains more protein and therefore can absorb the milk and other liquid in this high-hydration dough in order to give it its elasticity and make it both light and chewy.

Fast-rise or instant yeast: This type of yeast does not need to be activated before you use it, so it makes the recipe quicker and easier. You’ll throw the yeast in the mixing bowl with the other dry ingredients and save a couple steps and a little time in prep work.

You’ll also need:

Granulated sugar
1 Large egg
Unsalted butter
Pure vanilla extract
Kosher Salt
Dark brown sugar
Ground cinnamon
Pecans
Powdered sugar

Kitchen tools you’ll need

For perfect pan dulce every time, I recommend the following tools:

A kitchen scale to ensure your ingredient measurements are precise
A bench scraper to help you make more precise cuts in the dough
A greased 6-quart clear food container or large glass bowl to give the dough room to proof properly
A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment

Note: While you CAN knead this dough by hand, it is absolutely tedious to do so and takes a lot longer. I highly recommend using a stand mixer to do the hard work for you.

How to make roles de canela

Make your dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment following the directions below in the recipe. Add ingredients in the order listed.

This is a high-hydration dough, meaning it will be sticky. The dough is ready to come out of the mixer when it mostly pulls away from the sides and sticks to the hook. Do not add extra flour to the dough, as the bread flour will absorb the liquid as the dough rises. Allow dough to rise undisturbed until it’s doubled in size, about two hours.

While the dough is rising, you can prepare the filling and glaze. Add room temperature unsalted butter, ground cinnamon, dark brown sugar, pure vanilla extract and salt to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and combine on medium speed until the filling looks like a paste.

To prepare the glaze, mix powdered sugar and whole milk in a small bowl and set aside.

Once the dough has doubled in size, sprinkle all-purpose flour on your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Turn the dough out onto the surface and gently roll into a 9×13 rectangle shape. Be sure not to roll the dough too thin, as this will prevent it from rising properly during the second rise, and absorbing sugar during the baking process.

Use a spoon or offset spatula to gently spread the filling over the rectangle-shaped dough, leaving 1/2 inch around the edges.

spreading cinnamon roll filling on the dough

Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the filling.

Cinnamon roll dough spread with cinnamon sugar butter filling and sprinkled with chopped pecans

Roll from the long side inward and tuck the dough seam underneath.

Use your bench scraper to cut 6-12 equally sized rolls and place in a 9×9 parchment-paper lined pan and cover with a lightweight kitchen towel. Allow to rise again, undisturbed, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until rolls have doubled in size.

After the second rise, the rolls should look like this:

Bake in a 350 degree F preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the top of the rolls are sufficiently browned but not burned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle glaze over the top of the rolls in a diagonal pattern. Allow the glaze to set for 10 minutes before serving.

What to serve with roles de canela

At home, I love to pair my pan dulce with warm beverages, especially on chilly fall and winter mornings. Here are some of my favorite drinks with milk you can either use to drink or dunk your pan dulce:

Roles de canela

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 25 minutes active, 4 hours inactive
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours, 40 minutes
Yield: 9 rolls 1x
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Mexican

Print Recipe

Description

Roles de canela are Mexico’s answer to the cinnamon roll and are one of the most common types of pan dulce seen in a panadería.

Ingredients

Scale

For the bread:

200 grams bread flour
36 grams granulated sugar
5 grams fast-rise instant yeast
100 grams whole milk
1 large egg, room temperature
40 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 grams kosher salt

For the filling:

113 grams (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup raw pecans, chopped

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk

For greasing the container where you’ll proof the dough:

Cooking spray

For flouring your work surface:

All-purpose flour, as needed

Instructions

Add bread flour, sugar, and fast-rise instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook attachment, turn mixer to speed 2 to combine dry ingredients.
Add warm milk, 1 large egg, and butter to the bowl and increase speed to 4 for 5 minutes.
Add pure vanilla extract and kosher salt to the bowl and continue to mix on speed 4 for about another 10 minutes, until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and mostly gathers around the hook. You may need to stop the mixer partway through to scrape down the sides with a spatula so no dough is wasted.
Prepare a large glass bowl or a 6-quart food container with lid for proofing the dough by spraying the inside with cooking spray so the dough won’t stick to the sides.
Turn the dough out from the stand mixer bowl into the bowl or container to proof and cover. Allow dough to rise undisturbed for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Once dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a floured surface (use all-purpose flour for this part, just enough so the dough doesn’t stick to your work surface). Gently roll out to 9×13 with a floured rolling pin. It’s OK if your dough isn’t a perfect rectangle.
In a stand mixer, make the filling with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar first, then add ground cinnamon, pure vanilla extract and kosher salt. Mix on speed 4 until well combined.
Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread the filling mixture on your rolled out dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges.
Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the filling and gently roll starting with the long side inward. Tuck the dough seam underneath the roll.
Using a bench scraper or very sharp knife, divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Arrange them in a 9×9 parchment paper-lined pan and cover with a kitchen towel for the second rise, until doubled in size. This should take about an hour and a half to two hours.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for about 15 minutes, until the tops and sides are sufficiently browned but not burned.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before drizzling the icing. Allow icing to set for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Notes

TO MAKE THE DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME: Make the dough the night before and allow it to rise overnight in the refrigerator. Keep the bowl or container covered so the dough does not lose moisture. The cold temperature of the refrigerator will slow the growth of the yeast, but overnight will be plenty of time for the dough to double in size. It’s OK if it rises a bit more. If it hasn’t risen enough, allow it to rise for about 30 minutes on your countertop undisturbed.

Keywords: roles de canela, cinnamon rolls, pan dulce

Pan de muerto

22 · Oct 5, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Pan de muerto is a yeasted sweet bread perfumed with orange blossom water or orange zest and dusted with a sugar topping. This pan dulce is typically eaten to celebrate Day of the Dead and is also given as an offering on altars for Día de los Muertos.

close up of Mexican pan de muerto on a baking sheet

In fact, the most common offering on an altar for Día de los Muertos, aka Day of the Dead, is pan de muerto (literally: “bread of the dead”). Alongside other items included in the ofrenda, the bread is intended to honor the souls of our loved ones who return to visit us and give them nourishment. Other items on the altar may include food and drinks loved by the deceased, trinkets and other symbolic offerings such as marigold flowers (known in Spanish as cempazuchitl), sugar skulls, papel picado, candles and more. You can read more about the symbolic elements of the altar in my post about How to Celebrate Day of The Dead. This holiday is celebrated on November 2, known to Catholics as All Souls’ Day.

Mexican Day of the Dead altar with pan de muerto and other symbolic elements

Pan de muerto represents an earthly gift and the generosity of the host. The bread dough contains orange blossom water and is often topped with sugar or sesame seeds, depending on the region of Mexico. The dough decorating the top represents bones.

Depending on the region of Mexico you visit this time of year, you may notice that there are other forms this bread can take such as little people, dolls or half-moons. The traditional shape is round with the dough arranged on the top to represent bones. The dough ingredients may also vary slightly according to region, sometimes containing anise seeds or orange zest. In Mexico City, the sugar topping is the most popular. Some areas of Mexico use pink or red sugar, but the most common is plain, uncolored sugar.

In the past, it was common for pan de muerto to be sold in panaderías only a few days prior to Día de los Muertos, but with the growing interest in the holiday outside of Mexico and modern supply and demand marketing, you’re likely to see pan de muerto in grocery stores and some bakeries in Mexico City as early as late August and early September. Even for those who don’t actually celebrate the holiday, it’s common to buy pan de muerto to consume this time of year.

Mexican pan de muerto fresh from the oven on a baking sheet sitting atop a cooling rack

The pan de muerto form you see pictured here is the most common you’ll find in Mexico City; the round base represents a grave mound covering the coffin, the dough shaped like bones represents the arms and legs, and the ball of dough on top represents the skull. The bread itself is made from the same masa bizcocho dough that is used to make conchas, roles de canela, pan de anís, novias, chilindrinas, rebanadas and other similar types of Mexican pan dulce.

You might also like: A-Z Guide to Mexican Pan Dulce

In Oaxaca, the base of pan de muerto is made with their traditional pan de yema, and is sometimes adorned with sesame seeds. In other areas of Mexico, this bread carries other names and has more elaborate decoration as well.

This recipe can make 6 small individual rolls, 4 medium individual rolls, or 2 large pan de muerto breads for sharing with up to 4 people. If you want to make this recipe as one large bread, you may need to adjust the baking time by adding a few minutes.

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Margarita-glazed doughnuts

5 · Jan 21, 2019 · Leave a Comment

These margarita-glazed doughnuts are a fun recipe to impress your adult guests for breakfast or brunch—it’s like having a cocktail for breakfast without the buzz!

If you’ve been a longtime reader, then you know we love biscuit doughnuts in our house! They’re super easy to make, and the icing only takes a few minutes to whisk together. A couple of bakeries in LA have a margarita-glazed doughnut that I really liked, so I thought I’d try making my own at home and these were pretty spectacular! The icing really does taste like a margarita….

Guide to Mexican Pan Dulce

464 · Dec 8, 2018 · 17 Comments

Mexican pan dulce can encompass pastries, sweet breads and even cookies, and are typically purchased from a panadería, or bakery. Popular kinds of pan dulce that you’re probably familiar with may include varieties such as conchas, sweet empanadas, cuernos, and puerquitos or marranitos.

Bread and pan dulce first came to be in Mexico after wheat was introduced to the country by the Spanish conquistadors in the early 16th Century. However, Mexican pan dulce as we know it today rose to popularity during the French occupation in the mid 1800s.

French influence on Mexico’s gastronomy grew exponentially from the time Porfirio Díaz, a Francophile, took control as president in 1880 and flourished into the early 1900s. And although the French occupation of Mexico ended in the mid-1860s, they left behind an indelible impression when it came to Mexicans’ palate for sweet breads and baking techniques.

French pastries and sweet breads adopted by Mexico morphed into uniquely Mexican creations, with a variety of shapes, textures and creative names—some of which still exist today. In fact, scholars estimate there may be as many as 2,000 different types of pan dulce in Mexico.

Below you’ll find an alphabetical listing of common types of Mexican pan dulce, as well as some that are found only regionally. This list is not comprehensive by any means (there are hundreds of types of pan dulce throughout Mexico, and some are known by different names in different regions). If there’s a type of pan dulce missing from my list that you’d like to know more about, please drop me a comment here on the blog, and I’ll happily research and add your favorite pan dulce to the list!

Mexican pan dulce from A to Z

Abanico: Similar to the oreja or palmera, the abanico is a puff pastry dough layered with sugar and shaped in the form of a fan. It can sometimes be called “pata de elefante” which means elephant’s foot. Some bakeries will dip the ends in chocolate, while others leave it plain.

Beso: Made from a raised dough, the baker makes two spheres with it, bakes, joins them using a jam or jelly, and covers them with butter and powdered sugar. It owes its name to the figurative kiss between the two pieces or spheres. It can be found mostly in the central part of Mexico. The version pictured here is rolled in finely shredded coconut.

Banderilla: Made from buttery puff pastry dough, this crunchy, flaky treat takes its name from the daggers used during the second third of a bullfight. It’s finished with egg whites and sugar, which caramelize during baking.

Bigote: A very close cousin of the croissant. Its main difference with its French relative is the liberal use of sugar as a coating. Whereas a French croissant is very flaky from the use of laminated dough, a bigote has more of a bready consistency. They are often dusted with fine sugar but can also be plain.

Mexican pan dulce bigote on a white marble background

Bisquet: Much denser than a scone and not too different from a buttermilk muffin, this all-day treat can be easily identified by a circular depression on its top, which is painted with egg whites and sugar.

Mexican pan dulce: Bisquets are a dense, sweet biscuit often served with butter and jam. More on theothersideofthetortilla.com.

Borrachito: Very common in Mexico City, this bread has a shot glass shape. It has raisins and is covered with a heavy syrup with rum or brandy. In the state of Oaxaca, the dough can be reddish and the syrup will have mezcal.

Broca: Made from puff pastry dough, this crunchy treat takes its name from a drill bit, as it looks just like one.

Buñuelo de viento: A crunchy fritter made from the airiest of doughs and deep fried using a cast-iron mold. It’s typically covered in sugar and cinnamon. A Christmas favorite up and down the entire country, buñuelos have also been a staple of industrial production for decades.

Calvo: Think of a concha, a dome-shaped bread, but dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with dried coconut on its edge, made to resemble a bald, old man’s head.

Campechana: Made from a dough not too far off from pastry dough, but sometimes replacing butter with lard, this crunchy bread is a staple of breakfast tables throughout the country. Originally from the state of Campeche, thus its name, campechanas can take many shapes and sizes, but are always a very crunchy, sugary treat.

Cartera: This is basically a French pain au chocolat: same dough and same shape. It may or may not contain the semisweet piece of chocolate inside.

Churros: Originally from Spain, churros are made from a basic choux pastry dough made of flour, salt and water (although some add eggs, sugar and even lard), squeezed through an extruder and deep-fried. In Mexico, it’s the norm to cover them in sugar and they’re never filled.

Colchón de naranja: A pillowy, doughy bread with a hint of orange and egg in its aftertaste, somewhat similar to the King’s Hawaiian bread we consume in the U.S.

Concha: The most popular and widely-known Mexican pan dulce. It has a dome shape and it’s decorated with a unique four and sugar paste resembling a seashell, which gives it its name. Traditionally the paste topping can be white or brown, the latter made with cocoa powder. Today, more colorful sugar paste toppings have emerged, including pink, yellow and even blue. In the state of Veracruz, conchas also known as bombas.

Conchas are a light, airy bread made from masa de bizcocho, covered with a delicate topping made of flour, sugar, + shortening; scored to make the topping look like a seashell. More pan dulce at theothersideofthetortilla.com

Cono de crema: A dessert treat made with puff pastry, filled with confectioners cream or custard, and dusted with confectioners sugar.

Corbata (or moño): A riff on the bigote, but with a literal twist in the middle, to resemble a bowtie, and thus its name.

Chilindrina: Similar to a concha in its shape, size and dough, this bread has a lumpy sugar crust. In Oaxaca, it’s used to thicken a type of stew called manchamanteles.

The chilindrina is a type of Mexican pan dulce with a light, airy bread made from masa de bizcocho, like a concha. Covered with a delicate topping made of flour, sugar, + shortening; sprinkled with sugar. More pan dulce at theothersideofthetortilla.com

Cubilete: This pastry is a three-bite cheesecake with a more buttery crust, and with a satisfying, soft, creamy center usually made with fresh cheese, not cream cheese. Can be doused in a liquor-infused heavy syrup and sometimes it has pineapple.

Cuernito: Not quite literally a croissant, because the dough usually has much less butter or even no butter, which is substituted with lard, giving it a different, more pillowy consistency. However, the croissant shape remains.

Dona: Doughnuts in Mexico are usually not yeasty and are seldom fried, which can be a huge letdown for some people. Mexican donuts, in general, are sprinkled with sugar. In the U.S., it’s more common to find yeasted and fried doughnuts with Mexican-flavored glazes or toppings, such as Mexican chocolate glazed doughnuts or hibiscus glazed doughnuts. Dough Doughnuts from Mexican Chef Fany Gerson in New York City and Trejo’s Coffee and Donuts from Mexican-American actor Danny Trejo in Los Angeles are great examples of these more American doughnuts with a Mexican-flavored spin.

Elote: This cookie takes its name from the shape and the finish given to the outer dough, and to a vegetable colorant used to fill a separate piece of dough that fills the outer shell. The dough contains lard and yeast, making it crumbly but airy. Not to be confused with pan de elote.

Empanada de fruta: A fruit-filled hand pie, which can be made from a pie crust-like dough, flaky puff pastry or a less buttery dough made with lard. It can also be sprinkled with sugar or painted with an egg-wash to achieve a glossy finish.

Galleta con grageas: A sugar cookie covered in colorful nonpareils.

Garibaldi: Popularized by the bakery chain El Globo, garibaldi are now a staple of any breakfast in Mexico. It’s a individual-sized pound cake brushed with apricot jam and rolled in white nonpareils. There is also a chocolate-flavored version with raspberry jam, very popular for after lunch dessert.

Gordita de nata: Using flour, sugar, yeast, milk, eggs and, most importantly, nata, a thick, pancake-like disc is formed, given time to rise, and cooked on a griddle. There are many forms of this treat throughout the country varying mostly in size and amount of nata used. Nata is the cream that thickens and congeals when boiling raw milk, also known in English as clotted cream.

Gusano: Again, a figurative name based on the shape of the cookie, but this time, one that may give you the willies. And also, much like its brother, the elote, the gusano is made with a yeasty dough with lard and eggs, but with added cinnamon. It’s finished with a cinnamon-sugar coating.

Hojarasca: Cookies with a fragile dough typical of the state of Coahuila, usually placed on guests’ tables at weddings as a snack. Tradition says that the bride’s family or friends are in charge of making and placing them several days in advance. In the state of Michoacán and in the rest of the central region, they’re made with flour, yolks, butter, lard and piloncillo syrup infused with clove, cinnamon and aniseed.

Lima: A traditional bread found in Oaxaca that resembles the shape of the fruit as well as its color, by using vegetable coloring. The dough is very similar to that of a concha and the shell, which encompasses the entire piece, is made of sugar, lemon peel and the aforementioned coloring.

Mantecada: A synonym of panqué, a buttery pound cake. Sometimes confused with cupcakes due to their shape and paper wrapper.

A type of Mexican pal dulce, a mantecada is a muffin-shaped buttery pound cake, sometimes called panqué. More pan dulce at theothersideofthetortilla.com.

Marranito de piloncillo (or puerquito or cochinitos): A cookie in the shape of a pig—thus the name—made with piloncillo. Very typical of Western Veracruz and Eastern Puebla. It can be found throughout the country and the recipe may vary slightly, but its main ingredients are flour, eggs, piloncillo, cinnamon, baking powder and an egg wash for its shiny finish. Try this recipe for marranitos from Chicano Eats.

Novia: Very similar to bigotes or corbatas but shaped in a coil similar to a cinnamon roll. Also made with a yeasty dough and doused in liberal amounts of sugar.

A type of Mexican pan dulce, made of a light, airy bread made from masa de bizcocho, like a concha, and shaped in a spiral roll. Liberally dusted with fine sugar. More pan dulce at theothersideofthetortilla.com

Nube: A concha with a fancier, more delicate shell and a sprinkling of sugar that looks like little clouds.

Ojo de buey: A bread or pastry dough piece filled or capped with a sugar paste similar to that used atop a concha, usually orb-shaped, and made to resemble an eye. The inner circle is made of different In some regions, the pan dulce listed above here as a “beso” is also called ojo de buey. Literally means “ox’s eye.”

Orejas: Puff pastry cookies of French origin, these are also known as palmeras in Spain. They are sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, or sugar alone, between layers and rolled to resemble the shape of an ear. This is one of the most popular types of Mexican pan dulce along with the concha.

Mexican pan dulce orejas on a baking sheet

Palmera: See orejas. Larger in size than orejas and formed in a circle shape to resemble a palm leaf.

Mexican pan dulce palmera puff pastry circle on white marble background

Pan de anis: Fluffy, airy, yet doughy bread with plenty of aniseeds and covered in sugar. These anise rolls are a must if you visit Mexico City’s famed El Cardenal during breakfast hours.

Pan de elote: Cornbread. Sweet corn kernels, eggs, butter, baking powder, sugar and flour. Found all over the country (and the continent).

Pan de muerto: Yeasty dough, orange peel and orange blossom water with dough pieces crossed on top made to resemble bones. This is typical of the entire country in the weeks before All Saints Day and Day of the Dead in early November.

Pan de muerto is a yeasted bread scented with orange blossom water, dough shaped to resemble bones on top, and dusted with sugar. Shared while celebrating Day of the Dead. More pan dulce at theothersideofthetortilla.com.

Panqué: Pound cake. Made with flour, butter, eggs and sugar.

Peine: Puff pastry filled with jam or jelly and cut in the shape of a comb. Similar-looking to a bear claw pastry.

Picón: Cone shaped bread with three points on one of its ends, covered with an egg, sugar and lard-based custard.

Pollo: Brioche-style bread filled with custard or confectioners cream and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Polvorón de naranja: Crumbly orange-flavored cookie.

Polvorones, also known as Mexican Wedding cookies: Buttery, crumbly shortbread cookie made with powdered sugar and nuts that can differ based on region. These cookies may have received their name because they’re sometimes offered as dessert at country weddings. Although not technically bread, they’re still considered a type of pan dulce by many and are available at most Mexican bakeries.

Mexican wedding cookies on a baking sheet, sprinkled with powdered sugar

Rebanada: A thick slice of white loaf bread, with a thick slather of a sugar paste on one side and baked again.

Rehilete: Similar to a danish but made in the shape of a spinning wheel, or rehilete in Spanish.

Rieles de fruta: Can be made with puff pastry or cookie dough, but either way, they’re stuffed with jam or jelly.

Roles de canela: Cinnamon rolls. Mexicans often like to add raisins and nuts use much, much less frosting.

Rosca de Reyes: Yeasted sweet bread made in the shape of a ring or oval, decorated with sugar-crystalized fruit and acitrón (crystalized biznaga cactus). Inside the dough, small, Baby Jesus figurines are hidden within. The rosca is the traditional treat served for the Epiphany (January 6) and it is customary that those who find the figurines inside their slice must invite the other guests to tamales and atole on February 2, Candlemas Day. Modern versions that deviate from traditional toppings also exist, such as a Sugar Crunch Rosca de Reyes.

Rosquilla de canela: Dry, flat, crumbly cookie shaped like a donut and covered in a cinnamon-sugar mix.

Trenza de hojaldre: A braided puff pastry, sometimes with frosting, similar to a coffee cake.

Volcán: A type of concha made with the same ingredients, but with a shell made to resemble a volcano that just spewed rocks.

Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts

7 · Sep 29, 2017 · 1 Comment

Try these Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts as a decadent treat you can serve to any crowd for breakfast or brunch.

These biscuit doughnuts are incredibly easy to make, and the frosting is something you can whip up in a flash. Just keep a can of flaky biscuit dough in the refrigerator and you’ll be set for any breakfast. In fact, these are so easy, you can even make them on a weekday. Any pan dulce-lover will definitely be impressed by the familiar flavors.

How to make Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts with biscuit dough, recipe via theothersideofthetortilla.com

I’ve previously shared a recipe here for hibiscus-glazed doughnuts, and these follow the same method of using Pillsbury flaky biscuit dough for extreme ease. (Seriously, even people who don’t consider themselves bakers can do it.)

RELATED RECIPE: How to make orejas

If you’ve never made biscuit doughnuts, you have no idea what you’re missing! My husband was such a huge fan of these that he ended up eating two in one sitting.

For the frosting on these, I chose to garnish with a drizzle of dulce de leche, but feel free to leave it out or come up with another idea to make your doughnuts look pretty. (I like the squeeze bottles of Nestle dulce de leche to get an even drizzle.) You can also garnish with a little bit of chopped or crumbled Mexican chocolate sprinkled on top of the glaze before it’s set.

It’s OK if the glaze isn’t completely smooth; sometimes the powdered Mexican chocolate gets tiny clumps, but that’s part of the charm of being imperfect but still incredibly tasty. There are two brands of Mexican chocolate that come powdered: Abuelita and Ibarra. I like them both and think it’s a matter of personal preference as to which one you like better. The Ibarra is what I happened to have in my cabinet recently, and I think it’s a little more finely ground than the Abuelita.

Ibarra Mexican chocolate made into frosting

Can I reheat biscuit doughnuts?

They’re great when they come straight out of the frying pan once the glaze is dried, but they don’t taste the same reheated (plus the icing can run when reheated). If you won’t make them all at once, separate the dough and refrigerate what you won’t eat right away. It’s easy to store leftover glaze, and that will taste fine the second day. Just cover with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator, too. Bring to room temperature when you’re ready to glaze a fresh batch.

RELATED RECIPE: Churro French toast

Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts

Author: Maura Wall Hernandez
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Frying
Cuisine: Mexican

Print Recipe

Description

Mexican chocolate-glazed doughnuts made with Pillsbury flaky biscuit dough are an easy and decadent treat you can serve to any crowd for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients

Scale

Canola oil (pour enough so it’s 1 inch deep in your pot)
1 can of Pillsbury Grands flaky layers original biscuits

For the frosting:

3/4 cup Ibarra or Abuelita powdered Mexican chocolate (sold in most Mexican grocery stores and online at Amazon)
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar (aka powdered sugar)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup whole milk

For garnish:

dulce de leche or roughly chopped Mexican chocolate

Instructions

Pour about 1 inch deep of canola oil into your pan. Heat over medium to bring the oil to temperature.
Remove the biscuits from the packaging and place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Use a small circular cookie cutter or a small juice glass to cut circles out of the middle of the biscuits. You should have 8 doughnuts and 8 doughnut holes.
When the oil is ready, it should bubble or pop very slightly. You can test its readiness with one of the doughnut holes if you’re not sure. The dough should start frying immediately after touching the oil. Add the doughnuts to the oil 3-4 at a time and fry for a minute or two, until the dough starts to turn golden. Flip them gently with a wooden spoon or tongs. When they’re done frying, remove from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined dish to drain any remaining oil. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.
While the doughnuts are cooling off a bit and draining excess oil, add 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, 3/4 cup powdered Mexican chocolate, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to a bowl. Mix with a spoon, then add the 1/4 cup whole milk (skim and 1% are too thin; don’t substitute!). Stir the mixture until it’s a relatively smooth consistency. Some small lumps are OK and the glaze should be thick. (If the glaze is too thick, you can add another tablespoon of whole milk.)
Dip the tops of the doughnuts in the icing, twisting them slightly to ensure they’re coated evenly all the way around the tops. Place them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet to dry.
Garnish with a drizzle of dulce de leche (as pictured) or roughly chopped Mexican chocolate.

Keywords: biscuit doughnut, mexican chocolate

Easy Hibiscus-Glazed Doughnuts

13 · Jan 1, 2017 · 3 Comments

Impress everyone with this easy recipe for hibiscus-glazed doughnuts for breakfast. They look fancy but you won’t believe how quick they are to make!

Who doesn’t love doughnuts for breakfast? I don’t trust anyone who says they don’t. I first got the idea to make this doughnut recipe when Fany Gerson posted a photo on Instagram of a similar-looking doughnut she was making at her doughnut shop in Brooklyn—appropriately called Dough. If you’re not familiar with Fany, she’s one of my favorite people in the culinary world and she wrote a beautiful book called “My Sweet Mexico” in 2010 that has made me one of her biggest fans. As a lover of pan dulce and Mexican candies and desserts, her book was the first one I found that made these treasured recipes accessible in English.

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Wordless Wednesday: Finding a good concha

1 · Mar 27, 2013 · 5 Comments

If you’re a frequent reader, you know all about my deep love for pan dulce and all kinds of Mexican pastries and other baked goods. So, of course it was one of the first things I sought out during my first week living in Los Angeles. A good friend introduced me to this place and I can’t seem to stay away!

This perfect concha is from La Monarca Bakery in Santa Monica (they have two more locations: Huntington Park and South Pasadena). I’m sure I’ll be writing more about this place soon, as I like to stop by there whenever I can since it’s not too far from where I work.

Is there a perfect piece of pan dulce in your neck of the woods? Let me know in the comments where you like to buy your pan dulce, wherever you live!

GARIBALDI

29 · Jan 21, 2011 · 39 Comments

By now, you all know about my deeply rooted love for pan dulce, especially for a particular chochito-covered panque from El Globo called el garibaldi. In fact, El Globo is credited as the original maker of garibaldi, a little pound cake bathed in apricot jam and covered in white nonpareils. Many bakeries in Mexico try to emulate these little magical cakes, but nobody makes them quite like El Globo.

During our trips to Mexico City, we’ve always purchased them fresh to eat for breakfast. With a little café con leche, I can’t imagine a better way to start a day. On one occasion, we carefully wrapped a few to bring home with us to Chicago, but sadly they got slightly smashed in our carry-on luggage and from then on, we decided they didn’t travel well. And after eating garibaldi on countless visits to Mexico City, I returned from our most recent trip with a serious mission: to spend time in the test kitchen trying to recreate them so I wouldn’t have to wait until my next trip to Mexico to eat them. Looking at my calendar, five months is a long time – too long, if you ask me – to deny myself one of my favorite sweet treats….

Wordless Wednesday: Garibaldi

2 · Jan 12, 2011 · 8 Comments

I’ve mentioned before my love for a bakery called El Globo – but by far my most favorite thing they sell are these precious little pastries called Garibaldi.

These little pound cakes, about the size of a muffin but without the top, are typically bathed in an apricot or raspberry marmalade and then rolled in white nonpareils (known as grageas in Spanish) for decoration. My favorite are the apricot-flavored.

Every time we visit, my suegra will pick up fresh Garibaldi for the day we want to eat them. They’re great as a breakfast pastry or a dessert and they’re the perfect treat because they aren’t gooey or sticky, the cake is perfectly moist and they’re not overly sweet.

I’m on a quest to learn how to make these at home this year because only being able to have them a few times a year is torture! I’ve dreamed about these little cakes and hopefully soon I’ll have a recipe to share here, or at least a comic tale of marmalade-coating-gone-wrong.

What’s your favorite Mexican pastry?