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In Mexico November 1st and 2nd are celebrations for The Day of the Dead. Spirits of departed loved ones are remembered by making beautiful altars decorated with marigolds (a scent believed to attract spirits), photos of loved ones, their favorite food, candles, incense, and gaily decorated Sugar Skulls. Flowers, sugar skulls, and candles are taken to the cemetery to decorate family tombs. An all night grave side vigil by family members honors those passed on but sweetly remembered.
The sugar skull and chocolate molds are reminiscent of the Skeleton drawings of Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), a famous Mexican woodcut artist. Although whimsical and non traditional in design these molds capture the essence of the Day of the Dead celebration.
The Sugar Skull making tradition has spread throughout the world as interest in the Day of the Dead increased. Now families pass the tradition along to their children making sugar and candy as a craft project. Teachers are introducing Hispanic culture to their students through videos, altar and shrine making, and sugar skull making to their students. Parties with Day of the Dead themes are perfect for Sugar Skull making as part of the festivity.
Below is a photo of sugar skulls decorated by one of our Canadian buyers. They are gorgeous!
Sugar Skull Molds are made in the US and designed by an amazing woman that lived in Mexico, studied and embraced the culture for over 17 years. She imports folk art from villages through out Mexico; travels extensively as a well known authority on Mexican culture, a speaker, teacher, and published author working on her second book. We are so pleased to be representing her products.
Mix thoroughly the following ingredients:
1 teaspoon Meringue Powder for every cup of granulated sugar used. We recommend using C&K meringue powder instead of Wilton that is used to cake decorating; C&K has finer granules that makes the mixture set up faster without leaving sticky fingers and a mold that falls apart. We have 4 ounce and 6 ounce jars in our eBay store as well as a wide assortment of sugar skull and chocolate molds. Sprinkle sugar mixture with 1 teaspoon water per cup of sugar used. (example: 4 cups sugar, 4 teaspoons of meringue powder then mix with 4 teaspoons of water). Mix with your hands about 4 minutes until all the sugar is moistened. When you fingerprints remain after squeezing the sugar mixture you are ready for the next step; it should feel like beach sand.
MERINGUE POWDER CANNOT BE OMITTED.
Cut the skull molds apart with scissors leaving at least 1” margin around the skulls. With your hands or a large spoon make a mound of sugar into the mold and firmly pack down until the mold is full to the flat edges. Using something with a straight edge like a piece of thick cardboard scrape off the sugar until the back is totally flat. Cut a piece of thick cardboard square larger than the size of your mold (2 – 3 inches) over the flat side and flip over quickly and lay on a flat surface and carefully lift the molds. The molds will be ready to decorate with royal icing, sequins, glitter and colored foil after air drying for about 8 hours. When making large skulls scoop out the interior to make them dry quicker plus being lighter. You can use the left over to make more skulls. Use royal icing as glue to adhere the front and back of the skull together on the large skull and the Oaxacan skulls.
ROYAL ICING
In a bowl mix 1 pound powdered sugar and ¼ cup C&;K Meringue Powder, then add 1/3 cup water. Beat approximately 9 minutes with an electric mixer until icing forms peaks. Place in a tightly covered container. DO NOT REFRIGERATE. Royal icing doesn’t taste good, but it is strong acting like a cement glue and dries nicely. Use ONLY concentrated paste food coloring (not liquid food coloring found in grocery stores) We sell appropriate food coloring in our eBay store. Mix the icing with the food color in disposable paper or plastic cups, spoon in the mixture into disposable plastic pastry bags (also found in our eBay store) filling only ¼ full. If you are decorating mini skulls make very tiny snips on the tip of the pastry bag.
CHOCOLATE SKULLS MINI
Chocolate Chips:
Keep mold intact, do not cut apart. Using a Pyrex cup, melt 1=1/4 cup non-tempered chocolate bars or chips (the yellow bag of chocolate chips is perfect) in the microwave for 1 minute, stir with a chopstick. If needed heat another 10 seconds so the chocolate is thoroughly melted. Using a small spoon fill the skull indentations in the mold, if there are air bubbles knock the mold on a hard surface to remove. Place in freezer for 30 minutes and remove like ice cubes. NOTE: Non-tempered chocolate skulls can melt easily and be messy. Refrigeration is crucial for this type of chocolate using plastic covered boxes, layering with plastic wrap to reduce humidity. Serve within 24 hours right from the refrigerator. You can serve them on a platter plain, or wrap them in colored tin foil for extra glitz!
Candy Coating Wafers:
Leave your mold intact, do not cut apart. These discs are microwaveable and found either at a cake decorating shop or at a hobby store. It is a good idea to test the taste before you make a big batch as this type of chocolate differs from brand to brand. Melt 1-1/4 cuts of wafers in a Pyrex bowl in the microwave, stir, and spoon into the candy mold skull indentations. Remove any air bubbles by knocking mold on counter. Freeze for 30 minutes and remove like ice cubes.
Tempered Chocolate:
This type of chocolate requires a chocolate recipe book and professional chocolate making equipment.
For an authentic Oaxacan flavor add cinnamon, coffee, vanilla, pecans or chilis to your chocolate skulls!
You can reuse your molds year after year by washing and storing in a cool dry place.
The molds can also be used for ice cubes, skull soaps, candles and plaster of paris skull magnets.
Enjoy experiencing a Day of the Dead celebration in your home by making Sugar Skulls in memory of your departed loved ones.
We combine shipping on all our items and if you'd like us to make a kit with multiple molds, colors, meringue powder, icing bags jut let us know which molds you want and we will be glad to make a special listing for you in our eBay store.
We’d enjoy seeing photos of your decorated sugar skulls, and will post them on this page. Get ready for our Sugar Skull decorating contest in 2008! Send photos to info@worldwide-traders-online.com
Let you imagination run wild adding findings, embellishments, feathers, sequins, colored foil to enhance your skulls. Above all enjoy the process!!
Our eBay store has a wide selection of molds to choose from year round. The Large 3D Skull, 2 3D Oaxacan skulls, 2 2D flat back skulls, Fiesta, 5 2D flat back original small skulls, 6 2D flat back whimsical skulls, Novio - Bride & Groom Chocolate Mold that makes 4 candy bars, Posada Catrina, Frida,and Catrina. From August through December we have a promotion: buy 3 molds on one invoice and you get 1 free from any priced at $8.45.. (Don't pay for the 4th mold, wait for us to invoice you for combined shipping and send us an email with your choice for the free mold).
"I will! I am! I can! I will actualize my dream. I will press ahead. I will settle down and see it through. I will solve the problems. I will pay the price. I will never walk away from my dream until I see my dream walk away: Alert! Alive! Achieved!" - Robert Schuller
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