Pan de muerto (bread of the dead) is a low-key Mexican sweet. Around the Day of the Dead (essentially Monday and Tuesday), they are placed on altars dedicated to deceased loved ones as well as on their graves. Pan de muerto, which comes in a variety of shapes, is also a snack or breakfast with a big cup of hot chocolate, coffee or the thick hot drink called atole. Some bakeries sell the barely sweet, sugar-dusted loaves year round; others only make it in late October. People will tell you the best version comes from their abuela’s (grandma’s) oven. At Play, though, sampled a few from Mexican bakeries.
THE PLACE: BOMBON, 1508 W. 18th St., 312-733-7788
THE STATS: $15 for a big loaf
THE COMMENTS: The baker tells us the big handsome sugar-sprinkled loaves are made with citrus peel, butter and evaporated milk. Our take: They tasted a lot like moist plain white bread–not quite as rich as challah–sprinkled with granulated sugar. The flavor may be pretty subtle, but we loved the pig shape and this stuff makes fantabulous French toast the next day.
BEST BET
THE PLACE: LAREDO BAKERY, 1540 W. 18th St., 312-733-9293
THE STATS: $1.50 for a Barbie doll-sized loaf
THE COMMENTS: These doll-shaped loaves, wrapped in plastic, are decorated with colorful sprinkles and facial details that make them look like grade-school art projects. Our take: They were the fave with my kids and with their extra sugar, the tastiest of the bunch when eaten plain–but even better dipped in a cup of rich hot chocolate.
THE PLACE: PIERRE’S BAKERY, 2747 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-252-8888
THE STATS: 99 cents for a 4-inch loaf; $3.99 for a bigger loaf
THE COMMENTS: Light and crisp with a cottony, slightly sweet center and little flecks of fragrant anise seeds, these are sold throughout October in the round loaf design with a crossed-bones shape on top. Our take: Buy them with a white sugar dusting or plain, but remember to eat them the same day or be prepared to dip in a hot beverage.
———-
meng@tribune.com
