Traditional foods for Semana Santa include torta de huevo, salmon loaf, vegetarian red chile and quelites but if you’re in the mood for some sweet, high caloric foods you may want to try the following recipes:
Buñuelos
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup shortening
3 eggs
1/2 Cup Water
Sift flour and salt; work in shortening by hand. Add eggs and enough water until the dough is the consistency of Play Dough. Form into small sized golf balls and roll to 1/8 inch thick-like tortillas. Let them stand for a few minutes, then fry in deep hot cooking oil (390 degrees) until lightly browned and puffed. Drain on paper towels, serve warm with melado.
Melado
This homemade syrup is used for buñuelos and capirotada (bread pudding, which is commonly known as sopa in New Mexico).
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
2 Cups Red Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Saffron
6 Ounces Butter
In a sauce pan over a medium flame Caramelize the sugar and cinnamon adding small amounts of water until the granules dissolve. Once the mixture has become a syrup-like consistency, lower the flame so that the sauce can easily be poured onto the buñuelos and capirotada.
Capirotoda (Sopa)
1/2 cup sugar
6 slices bread, toasted
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 and a half cups grated longhorn cheese
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
Place toasted bread, raisins and grated cheese in layers and cover each layer with the melado. Top with butter slices and pour the remaining syrup on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, serve warm.
Panocha
3 cups panocha flour
2 cups white flour
2 &1/2 cups sugar
4 to 6 cups water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Caramelize half a cup of sugar, set aside. Mix panocha flour, white flour and remaining sugar. Add small amounts of water until you have a smooth consistency. Add caramelized sugar and mix again. Bake for 3 hours, checking frequently and adding small amounts of water to ensure a pudding-like texture.
Arroz Con Leche
1 cup rice
1 & 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups scalded milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Rinse rice thoroughly, when it comes to a boil in the salt water cook for twenty minutes. Drain and add the boiled milk. Stir in the sugar and continue cooking for another twenty minutes. Prior to serving add sprinkles of cinnamon.