By I made flour tortillas at 4 AM — not for the bakery (Sofia makes those now) but for myself, at home, standing at the counter in the dark kitchen, rolling and pressing and cooking on the comal, the same movements Rosa made, the same sounds, the same smell. The tortillas are not work. The tortillas are the compass. They point me home.
The small El Paso-Juárez border-cousin-network continues. The small Juárez-side of the family (Maria Elena’s mother’s family) crosses the small bridge for the small family-events. The small cross-border family-life has been the small constant. The small post-Carlos-killing has changed the small relationship to the small Juárez-side.
The five children: Carlos (the small eldest) had been killed in Juárez in 2008 at age 19 in the small cartel-violence. The small loss is the small permanent-wound. The small four-surviving-children are: Roberto Jr. (now 38, runs the small bakery’s wholesale operation, married with three kids), Elena (now 35, a small ER nurse, married with two kids), Mateo (now 32, a small high school teacher, married with one kid), and Sofia (now 28, the small bakery’s manager, engaged).
The small Mexican-cooking-tradition runs through the small kitchen-and-bakery. The small mole, the small chiles rellenos, the small tamales-at-Christmas, the small posada-foods, the small Three Kings Day rosca. The small recipes have come down through four-and-five generations of the small Gutierrez-Hernandez women.
The small Panadería Rosa in the small downtown El Paso continues to be the small business. The small bakery operates from four AM to six PM six days a week. The small pan dulce, the small empanadas, the small bolillos, the small conchas are the small daily-product. The small bakery is the small Maria Elena and Luis Gutierrez inheritance from Maria Elena’s parents.
The five children: Carlos (the small eldest) had been killed in Juárez in 2008 at age 19 in the small cartel-violence. The small loss is the small permanent-wound. The small four-surviving-children are: Roberto Jr. (now 38, runs the small bakery’s wholesale operation, married with three kids), Elena (now 35, a small ER nurse, married with two kids), Mateo (now 32, a small high school teacher, married with one kid), and Sofia (now 28, the small bakery’s manager, engaged).
The small twelve-grandchildren are the small joy-of-the-small-final-third-of-life. The small grandkids cycle through the small Sunday-bakery-and-Maria-Elena-house from morning to evening. The small intergenerational kitchen runs on the small Sunday.
The small Mexican-cooking-tradition runs through the small kitchen-and-bakery. The small mole, the small chiles rellenos, the small tamales-at-Christmas, the small posada-foods, the small Three Kings Day rosca. The small recipes have come down through four-and-five generations of the small Gutierrez-Hernandez women.
Luis (the small husband) operates the small bakery’s production side while Maria Elena runs the small front-of-house and the small recipe-development. The small forty-year-relationship (married against both small families’ wishes) has been the small life-partnership. The small Javier-loss in 1993 had been the small permanent wound the small family carries. The small marriage-survived.
The small El Paso-Juárez border-cousin-network continues. The small Juárez-side of the family (Maria Elena’s mother’s family) crosses the small bridge for the small family-events. The small cross-border family-life has been the small constant. The small post-Carlos-killing has changed the small relationship to the small Juárez-side.
Sofia handles the conchas and the bolillos now, and Luis runs the production line before the sun comes up — but the glazes, the small finishing touches, those still belong to me. This maple glaze is one I reach for when I need something that goes on steady and sets clean, the way a good day at the bakery should. It is simple enough to make in the dark, and sweet enough to feel like it means something.
Maple Glaze for Doughnuts
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 12 doughnuts
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons whole milk (or more as needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
- Combine base ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until a thick paste begins to form.
- Loosen to glaze consistency. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously, until the glaze is smooth and falls from the whisk in a slow, steady ribbon. It should coat the back of a spoon without running off too quickly.
- Season. Add a pinch of fine sea salt and whisk once more. Taste and adjust — a little more maple syrup deepens the flavor, a little more milk thins the glaze for a lighter coat.
- Glaze while warm. Dip the top of each doughnut into the glaze, let the excess drip off, and set on a wire rack. Allow the glaze to set at room temperature for 10—15 minutes before serving.
- Use promptly. The glaze is best applied within 30 minutes of making. If it thickens as it sits, whisk in a few drops of milk to restore consistency.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 65 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 15mg