On Calle Revolucion this week I was in a car with several Ex Patriot women when we spotted these little Christmas ornaments that are commonly sold here by the street vendors. I along with a couple of the other women wanted to purchase a few to decorate with & several of us bartered for them. With varying prices among the street vendors I am not so sure the man we were buying from thought that a car full of American & Canadian women were such a good deal for him! These little ornaments are made of foil, paper & tinsel. They are called pinatas since they are the shape of the gift filled Navidad Pinata. When we were at the Mercado Navidad we could smell the various food scents drifting through the market stalls. Truly mouth watering were the Buñuelos that were cooking. Yes, they were cooked in Lard & yes, we left without them but they smelled like heaven after a morning of shopping in the Mercado! The Piloncillo called for in the recipe below is found in Mexican Groceries & is the cone shape of the famous Mexican Sugar Molds now used for candles.


Buñuelos de Navidad -Christmas Sweet Fritters
10 servings
Ingredients
2 cups water
1 lb. flour
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp anisette
9 oz. lard *vegetable shortening is healthy alternative
9 oz. piloncillo -raw sugar

Boil one tablespoon anisette in a cup of water and leave to cool. Mix and sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in the eggs, the yolk and the anisette in water, as required, and knead until the dough stiffens. Form into small balls and roll out on a floured board until very thin. Continue flattening by hand on a napkin and place on a floured table. Heat the lard .Fry one by one in the lard.
Heat the piloncillo in one cup of water with the remaining tablespoon of anisette. This mixture will thicken to a light syrup. remove from heat and strain.
Serve the fritters, broken into pieces, in bowls and pour the syrup over them. *served in Mercado Navidad with sprinkle of cinnamon & sugar only!