A Mexican Christmas - 3 Traditional Mexican Christmas Recipes

hristmas in Mexico is all about hospitality and making traditional Mexican Christmas food recipes to share with friends, family and neighbors. There are some Mexican Christmas recipes, which are made only at Christmas, and others, which are made throughout the year, for various occasions. Tamales, for example, are enjoyed all year in Mexico but sweet tamales are for birthdays, christenings and Christmas parties.
There are also traditional Mexican drinks, including atole, which is a thick, cinnamon-flavored drink, and ponche, which is a fruit punch. Ponche can be made with or without alcohol.
Atole - A Traditional Mexican Beverage
This recipe serves four people and it is warming and delicious. Atole is meant to be served thick but if it thickens too much, you can add a little extra milk to thin it down a bit.
What you will need:

• 3 cups milk
• 3 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 7 oz white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 oz masa dough
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

How to make it:Dissolve the masa in the water, then strain this liquid and add the cinnamon sticks. Bring it to a boil, and then stir in the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and milk. Keep boiling the atole until it is thick. Take out the cinnamon and serve hot.
Traditional Mexican Bunuelos
This easy recipe for bunuelos serves ten people and everyone will enjoy these festive Mexican cookies. They are served broken into pieces with a hot anisette-flavored syrup poured over them. Bunuelos are popular with adults and kids and they are popular at Christmas but made for other occasions too.
What you will need:

• 2 eggs
• 9 oz piloncillo (raw sugar)
• 9 oz lard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons anisette
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 lb flour
• 2 cups water

How to make them:Boil half the anisette in half the water and let it cool. Sift the salt with the flour. Add the eggs and egg yolk, as well as the water and anisette mixture. Knead the dough until it is stiff, and then form small balls. Roll them out thinly, and then fry them one at a time in the lard. Heat the piloncillo in the remaining water with the rest of the anisette. Strain the mixture once it is thick, then break the fried bunuelos into pieces and serve them with the syrup poured over the top.
Mexican Christmas Salad
This salad serves ten people and is a combination of fruit with a tangy dressing. This is a colorful and healthy Mexican Christmas food recipe and it is easy to make. Chill it for a couple of hours before you serve it, to let the flavors combine and to ensure it is very cold.
What you will need:

• 2 peeled, diced, cooked beets
• 1/2 cup unsalted pecans or almonds
• 1 diced banana
• 1 peeled, diced apple
• 1/4 fresh peeled, diced pineapple
• 1 peeled, chopped orange
• 1 diced cooked carrot
• Seeds for 1/2 pomegranate
• 3 tablespoons salad oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar

How to make it:Put the lime juice, salad oil, salt and sugar in a screw-top jar and shake until well blended. Combine the fruits then pour the dressing over the top and stir well. Garnish the salad with the pomegranate seeds and nuts and chill it in the refrigerator before serving.

Christine Szalay-Kudra is an author, food expert and mom of four boys. She is the owner of the Recipe Publishing Network, a group of sites dedicated to fine food and information for cooks. When not busy with her business you can find her sharing on one of these social networks at her own URL: http://www.recipepublishingnetwork.org/

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