Recipes

Pan Loco

    This is that one recipe that doesn't seem to exist anywhere because someone made it up and passed it on from generation to generation. Most Mexican American households know what Pan Loco is, but allow me to share it with you. Pan Loco translates into "crazy bread," though it is less like a bread and more like a flat biscuit. There are many variations. Some folks are used to a sweeter version. The recipe below is my Mom's version (biscuit type) but you can easily experiment with adding spices.
If adding spices to the recipe below, follow this rule of thumb:
1 tsp if spice is in seed form ~ or ~ 1 1/2 tsp if spice is in powder/ground form
Examples of spices that can be added for personal flavoring:
Anise seed  *  Cinnamon powder  *  Pumpkin Spice  *  All Spice  *  Nut Meg  *  & many more!
Have fun with it. You may create a new family favorite to pass down for generations.

The Recipe:
3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup shortening or oil
1 cup warm water
Mix dry ingredients well. Cut in shortening or oil with pastry blender or fingers. Add warm water. Mix well. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough in oval shape 1 inch thick. Lay on greased cookie sheet. Flip dough so that the other side has grease from pan, as well. Bake for 1 hour, watching that bottom does not burn. Serve warm with butter or honey.
Bueno!

6 comments:

  1. thank you so much for posting this.....my mother recently passed and she made this all the time, i always teased her and said she was going to live forever so i did not need to learn to make it, i guess i just never wanted her to go... thank you again so much....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry about your mom. I hope that every time you make this recipe, it reminds you of those loving memories. I'm so glad you can now pass it on.

      Delete
  2. Sorry about your mom. I hope that every time you make this recipe, it reminds you of those loving memories. I'm so glad you can now pass it on.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My husband always talks about how his aunt would always make this bread for them when they were small. I've never tried it and hadn't heard of it until we got together, but he says it's the best ever. She passed away a couple of years ago and she was the only one that knew how to make it. Nobody from his family has her recipe and haven't tried making it. We came across this picture of it and he said it looked exactly like this. Thank you so much for posting the recipe. I'm going to try it soon. I hope it comes out as good as he remembers 😊

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sorry to hear about your husband's aunt. And my sincere apologies for a long overdue response. Life gets chaotic.
    I had to get the recipe from my mom! When I couldn't find it anywhere on the internet, I knew I had to post it. If it's not quite what your husband remembers, you can always tweak the recipe until it is. ♥️

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you Thank you I thought I was going crazy my mom would make this for us and all the recipes I found were sweet my mothers was more of a flat biscuit and your recipe confirms that.
    Thank You
    Rick Torres

    ReplyDelete