El Dia De Los Muertos {Day of the Dead Cookies}
*Warning, outrageously long and educational blog post to follow. READ. ENJOY. LEARN SOMETHING. I’ll make it up to you.*
The Day of the Dead {El Día de los Muertos} is a Mexican holiday celebrated on the 1st and 2nd days of November to honor loved ones that have passed on. Its a little more complicated than that, but if you want the whole explanation, you’re going to have to check out Wikipedia. I’m definitely no expert.
As a Texan, my life has always been influenced by Mexican tradition and culture. It’s all around me. This is how I came to attend a Day of the Dead celebration.
About ten years ago, in the beginning of November, a friend of mine talked me into going to the cemetery with her family to clean their plot. I didn’t immediately make the connection. I’d learned about the Day of the Dead in Spanish class, but besides that, I hadn’t given it a lot of thought. I just wondered why they’d picked such a chilly day for yard work.
Then she explained. At first, I was a little creeped out by the whole thing. Visiting cemeteries and hanging out with dead people was kind of a foreign concept to me. I’d always associated cemeteries with sadness, and sometimes scary things {child of the Thriller era} but when we got there, it was completely different than what I’d expected.
There was nothing sad about the Day of the Dead at all! It was a day filled with happiness, bright colors, beautiful decorations, laughing, memories, and fun.
One my favorite memories about that day were the gifts. Being a “Gringa” {as my friend affectionately called me} I could not figure out why a majority of the graves were decorated with bottles of BEER! Turns out it’s traditional to offer gifts of the deceased’s favorite things, whatever it may be, and in that particular family plot the house favorite was Bud Light.
Anyway, that’s neither here nor there…
The point I was getting to was, GIFTS. On the Day of the Dead, it is common to decorate each grave with gifts, which besides beer also includes more traditional offerings like pan de muerto {bread of the dead}, marigolds, and sugar skulls, or calaveras, which brings me *FINALLY* to cookies!
Calavera cookies are one of my favorite cookies to make, and there is no better day than this to make them!
Besides being colorful and beautiful, they are unique to the artist, so there are no rules to follow when decorating them. That said, rather than a black and white how-to, I decided it would be better to show the progression of the cookie as I worked to serve as a foundation to build on while decorating your own unique creations.
The most important things to remember are, be creative and make something that is beautiful to you!
First things first, you’ll need icing. Perhaps a lot of icing. I always begin by choosing a palette and mixing both piping AND flood icing in each color. Of course, you can make it as complicated or simple as you like, but as always, I seem to lean toward complicated.
If you need a little inspiration in the color department, I suggest you check out Photo Card Boutique. It is one of my favorite go-to inspiration spots when my colorator is not 100%. I made that word up, by the way…
Oh yes, and if it takes you an hour to mix all that icing, there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s completely normal.
Now for the cookies. I have these weird sequences I follow, because they make sense in my head. I usually start with the eyes. The cool thing is, you don’t have to do what I do. Do what feels right to you. I do suggest, however, letting the bottom layer dry before adding accents. Otherwise, the colors may bleed.
I work from eyes to nose to mouth, adding detail as I work, usually with a #1.5 PME tip.
After that, it’s just a matter of filling empty space. Do what feels right to you, but in case you get stuck, I shared some of my favorite designs.
In hindsight, I’m thinking that a curlicue is pretty much a swirl, but I didn’t want to redo this picture, so PRETEND they are different. By the way, did you know curlicue is REALLY a word? True story. The dictionary says so!
It is traditional to write the name of the deceased on the forehead of the skull, but since these weren’t going to anyone in particular, dead or alive, I skipped that part and I kept on working until I was satisfied with my work.
Calavera cookies are usually an all-day affair, but aren’t they worth it?! I made these gals happy, because I really enjoyed decorating them!
I wasn’t fibbing when I said I had a thing for calavera cookies. These were the very first set I worked up the courage to make. It took me about six hours to decorate them!
Since then I went crazy, making them every chance I had, in whatever colors struck my fancy.
Even pastels, although this guy looks like he has a grill to me!
I’ve even made leopard print calaveras for a fellow Day of the Dead lover. Since they were for a friend, I included my cookie interpretation of José Guadalupe Posada’s, La Calavera de Catrina, a iconic image typically associated with the holiday. Obviously, she was a good friend. They took DOUBLE FOREVER to make!
El Día de los Muertos is a very meaningful holiday rich in history and culture. I consider myself very lucky to have had the chance to experience a real Day of the Dead celebration. Since that time, the holiday has always had a place in my heart. Even now, I always make sure to take a few things out to my Nanny when the time comes. It’s amazing how a simple gesture can bring such a feeling of closeness to someone that’s gone.
If you like Day of the Dead art, be sure to check out my friend Myri’s calavera cookies. Myri is from Mexico City and the owner of Chapix Cookies. I recently got to meet her, as in WORK across the table from her, and I can assure you, besides being an amazing decorator, she is a wonderful person and friend. I LOVE how her culture is reflected in her work along with her training as a graphic designer. Her calavera cookies are my favorite by far, and the best I have EVER seen.
Even if you don’t celebrate Day of the Dead, I hope you learned something, and will take a minute to remember your loved ones that are gone.
Thanks for visiting me, and even more thanks for hanging on if you made it this far. Be sure to come back Tuesday. I promise you’ll like what you see!
For instructions on making the marigold cookies click HERE.
Here’s to a great week!
These are gorgeous!
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LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE COOKIES!! Such fantastic colors!! Great addition to celebrate El Día de los Muertos 🙂 Only thing…. where do I find that cookie cutter?! I just can’t seem to find it in my search 🙁
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Muy Bonitas! Where did u find cookie cutter? Thanks!
Avon has these cookie cutters – if you would like to buy them let me know – I am an independent Avon Rep
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Where did you get the cookie cutter – I can’t find a comparable one anywhere!
Aren’t they great – AVON has them on sale for the season I can get them for you. I am an Avon Rep
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Can I order these cookies and have them sent to me?
Can you post how you made the Marigolds? Your work is gorgeous!
Here you go https://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/blog/2012/04/pretty-marigold-cookies/
can you make me 20 with name on it!?? I NEED THEM FOR MY DIA DE LOS MUERTOS DINNER! AND I CAN USE THE COOKIE AS PLACE CARDS!…
I don’t sell, but tell me where you live and I can refer you to a local artisan.
I live in Saginaw, MI – know any local artisans here that I can order from?
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ok
I love your work its beautiful! Where do you get your supplies from such as icing tips, coloring, edible glitter,etc. ?
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how the cookies coated in white?..are they dipped?
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These cookies are amazing. In fact, all your cookies are amazing. I actually can’t quit looking at all your designs. Very talented!
Brunita
Beautiful cookies and a great post about Dia de los Muertas. I love all the detail.
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Hi Sweet Sugar Belle! what cookie cutter did you use? 🙂
I would love these for my bday are you sure you don’t sell them?
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You are such an inspiration! – and the best cookie recipe I’ve found! I’ll keep trying with mine and admiring yours:)
Let me know when you want to publish a book as that is what I do in the real world – I work for a traditional book publisher in New Orleans. We’re the largest independent publisher in the South http://www.pelicanpublishing.com
OK- I have to go back to my batch for this year- wish me luck!
YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yes pretty please, I’ve just stumbled upon this post here in Spain:) would love a book of this let me know if you need help in any form I speak and write 4 languages:)
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Your decorated cookies are stunningly beautiful!!!
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Wow – these are absolutely fabulous!
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These are amazing!! I would love to give it a shot to see if I can make them. Do you have a recipe for the icing? Thanks 🙂
Randy Butternubs says look on the internet.
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Your cookies are amazing! I’d like to make these ahead of time. Can you please give me some advice. I’m wondering how long they will keep after they are frosted and how best to store them.
Thank you
your cookies are really beautiful. I started to see sugar skull cookies at starbucks and wanted to get ideas for making my own. I like the designs and color combinations you have used. really nice!!
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Very talented. Your decorated cookies are amazing!
These cookies are so beautiful I could cry; and as a Spanish teacher, I’m devastated I didn’t try to make these for my kids for dia de muertos this year.
What an incredible artist you are. My favorites are the primary color ones (with a little green in there haha)