Sugar---licious (Skulls that is...)

So back in October 2010 (I will obviously be back-blogging for a while since there is a bunch of stuff I want to post from last year) we hosted our 2nd Annual Sugar Skull Decorating Party and let me tell you it was a blast! A group of awesome friends with amazing hidden talent came out to help share the Dia de Los Muertos spirit and decorate sugar skulls and eat some great food!

To get in the sugar skull mood, we made dozens of awesomely decorated sugar cookies *recipe here* ! *yes...cream cheese frosting*

 My mom made these amazing candied pecans!

The smell and amazing color of the marigolds gave the house a nice traditional touch!

Viki brought some creepy treats that the boys enjoyed for days!

 And after a few hours of fun, food, and crafting...waaaalaaa! Gorgeous sugar skulls!  

Now if this is something you'd love to do (and live too far away to come to my party...) read on for instructions!

Sugar Skull Recipe *For 40 Medium Sized Skulls (the size shown above)*

Granulated Sugar - 10 pounds

Meringue Powder - 1/2 cup

Water - 7 tablespoons

FYI - I buy meringue powder at the Specialty Shop (in Abq) but it is also available at any baking supply store. 

• Mix the sugar and meringue powder well before adding the water. Stir in the water a little at a time. Once all of the sugar is mixed in, you can use your hands to really continue to work with it until it is a very homogeneous mixture. *At this point it feels like wet beach sand! The only time you will feel that in NM!*
• You can find sugar skull molds online or in specialty stores. The medium sized skulls are the best for decorating, but the large size and small teeeny skulls are also fun to work with (I am in the process of making Christmas ornaments out of the tiny ones). 
• Once the mixture is ready to go, use a spoon or measuring cup to fill the mold, press the sugar in firmly. Use the straight edge of a butter knife to clear away any excess sugar.
• Now take a small thin piece of paper board (cereal box) covered in foil and lay this on the back of the mold. Flip the mold over using the foil to keep the sugar in and lay the back onto a piece of waxed paper. Slide out the board and gently pull up the mold. Yay! You made a sugar skull! 
• They are extremely fragile at this point and crumble easily. Let them dry for 24 h and you are ready to decorate.
• Now decorate you little skulls with paint, glitter, beads, and any other embellishments you have handy! 
• The skulls will dry hard enough that you can use a drill to drill a small hole in the back to hang them! 

Have fun!