Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo!!!


Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla. The state of Puebla recognizes the day but it's not a national holiday throughout Mexico.

The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle Puebla on May 5, 1862. The outnumbered Mexicans defeated a much better-equipped French army that had not been defeated in almost 50 years.

While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

This month I had the opportunity join in the celebration of Cinco de Mayo at my monthly cooking club and at my daughter's school for Teacher Appreciation week. I made several new recipes in honor of Cinco de Mayo. For the Teacher Appreciation Cinco de Mayo luncheon I made a large fruit platter with fresh pineapple, strawberries and grapes (some bananas would have been good too) and a Mexican Fruit dip along with a chocolate fruit dip.

Mexican Fruit Dip:

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 jar (7 oz size) marshmallow cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons rum -- optional
• Fruit such as pineapple -- strawberries, banana

Directions: In small bowl of a mixer, beat the cream cheese until it's soft and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well blended. Add the sour cream, marshmallow cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon and rum. Blend just until well combined. Place the mixture in serving bowl, cover and chill several hours before serving with fruit.

Easy Chocolate Fruit Dip: Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
• 1 jar marshmallow cream (7 0unces)

Directions: In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and chocolate syrup with a mixer until well blended. Then fold in the marshmallow cream. Place the mixture in a serving bowl, chill several hours before serving with fruit.

Taste Tempter Recipes

My cooking club, Taste Tempters, prepared several yummy Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes in April. The one dish I made was

Head over to Taste Tempters to see all the dishes/recipes we prepared for Cinco de Mayo.

Enjoy & Happy Cinco De Maco!