Pan De Muerto(A Mexican Bread Served on Religious Holidays)

Bring milk to boiling.

Remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt and shortening.

Add eggs and yeast and beat until mixture is well blended and yeast is dissolved.

Add flour and mix to a moderately stiff dough.

Turn out on a floured board and knead lightly a few minutes until dough is smooth.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rest 30 minutes.

Cut dough into 3 equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into a rope 12-inches long.

(Save out a small portion of dough and form a cross to decorate the top of bread.)

Make a braid of the three ropes, pressing ends together to seal them, then place braid on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover with damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until light and double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Brush with melted shortening and bake in a 375° oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

If desired, brush baked loaf with melted butter after taking it from oven.

Cool loaf thoroughly before slicing.