Mexico’s Velas Resorts in Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Maya and Riviera Nayarit are offering a bevy of activities and special culinary delights for the upcoming Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday. Día de los Muertos (Nov 1 and 2) is celebrated all across Mexico, where people honor and remember their deceased loved ones, preparing food and drinks for altars created upon their grave sites in hopes they’ll return to be with them again. In addition to ornate replica altars placed throughout the resorts and dedicated activities like catrina and sugar skull handicrafts and Mexican fiestas, several Velas Resorts will be offering special food and drinks traditionally made for the holiday. For those who can’t make it down to Mexico but still want to celebrate at home, Casa Velas, an adults-only boutique hotel, is sharing its recipe for the Pan de Muertos sweet roll, while the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya is offering up a Tun-Tun cocktail. New Mixologist David Hernandez created the Tun-Tun specialty cocktail; its name derived from a Mexican folk song which goes "Tun-Tun la calabacita, Tun-Tun la niña bonita..." Calabacita in Spanish is the equivalent to pumpkin, the predominate flavor of this heartwarming drink.
Pan de Muerto - Yields 20 pieces
4 ¼ C Flour
10 T Butter
6 Eggs
8 t Orange Zest
3 t Cinnamon
2 1/3 C Whole Milk
4 t Salt
½ C Sugar
3 1/3 T Yeast
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350º F
Mix the flour with the yeast. Form a hollow mound and in the center, add salt, sugar, orange zest and butter.
Add the eggs, little by little, mixing perfectly.
Add the milk and knead for 30 to 40 minutes, or 15 minutes in the blender with the bread hook.
Let the dough rest until it doubles in size. Shape the dough to desired shape.
Put the pieces in the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until done.
Tun-Tun Cocktail
1.5 oz Tequila Blanco
1 oz Evaporated Milk
1 oz Almond Liqueur
¼ oz Agave Nectar
¼ oz Pumpkin Puree
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Directions
Shake all ingredients together and double strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with cookie crumbs.
Top it off with whipped cream and nutmeg.
Rates start at $161 at Velas Vallarta, $273 at Casa Velas, $319 at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, $427 at Grand Velas Riviera Maya and $548 USD at Grand Velas Los Cabos. All rates are per person, per night, based on double occupancy. All-inclusive rates at Velas Resorts include luxury accommodations, a la carte gourmet meals at a variety of specialty restaurants, premium branded beverages, 24-hour in-suite service, taxes, gratuity and more. For reservations or more information, call 1-888-407-4869, email reservations@velasresorts.com or visit www.velasresorts.com.
