Dreaming Of Pan Dulce

I have been day dreaming.....mmm, of un cafecito con leche (coffee with a lil milk) y pan dulce! (Mexican bread is like our version of doughnuts I guess) What's your favorite kind? I love orejas and conchas,  oh and mantecadas.

Let me tell you a tale. When I was a teenager (many, many moons ago...ahem, ahem...seemslikeitwasjustyesterday) I spent a glorious summer in the land of Manzanillo, Mexico. It is a quaint little seaside town where my Grandma grew up. I will tell you stories of its beauty soon.

Anyhow, I stayed with my Grandma (my traveling partner), her brother my Tio Juan and his wife, my Tia Martha. They lived in this house in town, that was literally across the street from a panaderia. The smells that came from the tiny panaderia in the wee hours of the morning were more than enough to wake me from what should have been loungy summer mornings. The heavenly aromas would permeate through my closed windows and knock on my hungry belly. Try having THAT as an alarm clock every morning. Sound pleasant? Do you KNOW WHAT TIME  a panadero starts baking????? Nevertheless,  I would be dressed and ready for them to open every morning. The taste and texture of pan dulce that is still warm from the oven is inconceivable! Lol, seriously, it is something my brain will gladly cling to forever.

For now, I am happy to try and share these treats with my kids. We try to get to the mexican market nice and early and there is often something being pulled out of the oven......like today this is what we saw.............

El Salvadorian quesadilla

Oreja

Name? I say we call it large sugar cookie with sprinkles.

Galleta (kinda like a large peanut butter cookie)

Concha...see how it resembles a sea shell.

Nameless again! :( It's like a large muffin top...YUM!

The small assortment all together,,,there are so many more to choose from at the store!!!!

Me being a bad girl and having a few bites of an oreja....crunchy, crispy, flaky, with these toasted caramelized sugar pieces on the edges....simply scrumptious!