1 cup water
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sherry wine
1 cup cooking oil
Powdered sugar

Bring water to boiling point in a saucepan. Remove saucepan from fire and gradually add sifted flour with salt. Beat vigorously until fluffy and smooth. Add egg with wine and continue beating until batter is smooth and shiny. Heat oil in a deep pan until medium hot. Pour batter in a pastry tube and drop small amounts of batter, about 4 – 5 inches long, in the hot oil. Fry both sides until golden brown and remove Churros to absorbent paper to drain. Roll each one in powdered sugar while still hot. Serve with hot cocoa.
Yields 12

5 oz. bittersweet (60%cacao) chocolate, coarsely chopped
¾ C all-purpose flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Dash black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
1 ¼ C. sugar
¼ C. butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place chocolate in a small glass bowl; microwave on High 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Stir well with a whisk.
4. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add egg; beat well. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla; beat just until blended. Add flour mix; beat just until blended. Drop dough by level tablespoons 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until set. Remove from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 32 Cookies

For the Tamales
12 large dried corn husks, soaked in warm water to soften
2 C. masa harina
½ C butter softened
½ C brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 C. mango nectar
2 large ripe mangos, peeled, pitted and chopped. ( makes about 2 ½ C, use ½ C. for tamales and save 2 C. for mango topping)

For the Mango Topping
¼ C orange liqueur or orange juice
¼ C. brown sugar
1 Tbs. butter
1 pinch cinnamon
2 C. chopped mango
Lime wedges

Tamales: Remove husks from water and pat dry. In medium bowl, beat together masa, butter, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon until fluffy. Beat in mango nectar until smooth. Spread equal amounts of mixture in the center of each corn husk; top each with 2 Tbs. chopped mango. Bring in the sides of the corn husks so that the edges of the masa meet, then fold in both ends to enclose filling. Steam for 1 hour, then let cool slightly.

Mango Topping: Combine orange liqueur or orange juice, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 Cups chopped mango and cook for a few minutes more. Serve warm sauce over warm tamales with lime wedges on the side.

Makes 12 Tamales

For the Dough:
2 ¾ cakes compressed yeast
1 ¾ C butter
1 ¼ C. sugar
8 eggs
8 ½ C. flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon

For the Decorative Paste
1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 ¾ C flour
Candied fruit
Sliced almonds
Powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Crumble the yeast cakes into ½ C. warm water. Mix with all other dough ingredients and beat the batter until smooth and elastic.
3. On a large baking sheet, shape the dough into a ring resembling a large wreath. Tuck a miniature plastic doll or charm inside the dough. Cover the ring with a clean cloth or towel and let it sit in a warm place for 2 hours.
4. After the dough has risen, and before putting it in the oven, prepare the decorative paste by creaming butter and sugar together, beating in the egg and gradually mixing in the flour.
5. Use paste to decorate the fread in the form of rays coming out from the center, then decorate with candied fruit and sliced almonds before baking. (In Mexico, candied cactus, called biznaga, is used)
6. Bake 40-50 minutes, until the bread is golden brown. After baking, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes one loaf.