The representation of death is taken with sweetness and nostalgia at the same time in this recipe for sugar skulls, traditional for the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico. They dress the altars in the company of bread for the dead, cempasúchil flowers and the favorite dishes of loved ones who are no longer here.
In this article we want to teach you how to make sugar skulls with one of the simplest processes and with few ingredients; it will be enough to get a skull mold, they are very cheap and you can even use a silicone mold. Take it as a base, since you can decorate the sugar skulls to your liking and it can be a good activity with the family and children.
Ingredients to make Sugar Skulls:
- 1 kilogram of white refined sugar
- 30 milliliters of water
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
- 1 skull mold
- Paperboard
- To decorate
- 2 cups of icing sugar (280 grams)
- 1 egg white
- juice of half a lemon
- Vegetable dyes of various colors
- sequins (optional)
How to make Sugar Skulls:
- Wondering how to make skulls? Well, as a first step to make the Mexican skulls, in a container mix the sugar with the water, add the water and vanilla little by little, the consistency that should remain is similar to that of wet sand.
- To know if it’s ready, take a little and press it with your hand; it should stay firm.
- Trick: It is very important that you use white refined sugar, since if you use the standard one they will be darker.
- Then take your mold and fill with the sugar, press it so that it compacts perfectly and is easy to unmold.
- Unmold the skull in a cardboard, repeat the process of filling and compacting.
- With the amount of ingredients presented, you can get 15 to 20 small skulls, but it will depend on the size of your mold.
- Tip: If you notice that the sugar is cracking, add a little more water, but be careful not to overdo it.
- Preheat the oven to the lowest possible temperature, maximum 110 °C, arrange your skulls in the cardboard and place them on a tray and bake for 25 minutes.
- Sugar skulls are normally hollow, so once the baking time has passed, let them cool and with a spoon begin to remove the sugar from the middle.
- Then, bake again for only 5 minutes, reserve and let them cool completely.
- For decoration, prepare a royal icing or royal icing. Sift or sift the icing sugar in a bowl, add the egg white and lemon juice.
- Beat for 5 minutes and separate into small containers to apply the vegetable coloring (you can use the colors that you like the most).
- Then, empty each color into a bag or sleeve to decorate.
- If you got a 3D mould, join the two faces of the skull with a bit of white royal icing and press to make them stick well.
- Royal icing dries very quickly, so it will be very easy to make.
- From this step on, let your imagination guide you and start decorating the sugar skulls to your liking, you can make traditional decorations with sequins or make your own version.
- It is very fun to decorate sugar skulls with children, so it is an activity that you can do as a family.
- Now all that remains is for you to decorate your altar, give them to your acquaintances or simply taste them.
