The calaveritas are originally made with a technique called “alfeñique”, this is a mixture of sugar, egg white, lemon and a plant called “chaucle”, but nowadays the preparation of the calaveritas has been diversified with other recipes, even they are prepared with chocolate and amaranth.
If you are wondering how to make amaranth skulls and want to learn how to make this original recipe, in this article we want to teach you how to prepare them with few ingredients and with one of the simplest processes. Let’s go there!
Ingredients to make amaranth skulls:
- 1 piloncillo cone
- ½ cup of water (120 milliliters)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups of natural amaranth
- skull mold
- For the royal icing
- 2 egg whites
- 2½ cups of icing sugar (350 grams)
- Vegetable coloring
- 1 tablespoon of candies type lunette
- 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
How to make Amaranth Skulls:
- Start the recipe for amaranth skulls by diluting the piloncillo in a pot with water, also add the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and mix very well, when it begins to boil, remove from heat and let cool.
- Trick: apple cider vinegar will help prevent the piloncillo from caramelizing and thus it can integrate well with the amaranth.
- When the piloncillo is more or less cold, add the amaranth and mix very well, it should be a kind of thick dough, not very sticky.
- Use molds to make skulls of the size you prefer and grease them a little with oil, help yourself with a napkin to spread them well.
- Fill the mold with the sweet amaranth, you must apply pressure so that it can take shape, then let it dry for approximately 30 minutes in the freezer.
- The recipe for amaranth and piloncillo skulls is almost here! While the skulls rest, prepare the royal icing to decorate.
- In a bowl, mix the icing sugar with the egg whites to form a very light and smooth paste, separate the color that you like best and add a few drops of vegetable coloring, mix and place the mixture in sleeves or resalable bags.
- Once you unmold the skulls, it is the perfect time to decorate.
- Use the royal icing with the color that you like the most and decorate to your liking, for the eyes you can put a bit of the royal and paste a chocolate lunette.
- For the teeth you can place peanuts and use the same technique. Ready the amaranth skulls!We point out that there are countless elaborations to prepare skulls, chocolate skulls are also very popular in Mexico.
