This week on Baking A Murderer we are bringing it back to our high school Spanish class. We grew up in Southern California where Spanish was just as important as english. We were five years deep into spanish classes and without a doubt, every time we had a substitute teacher in Spanish class, the movie Selena featuring J.LO was played. And it was THE. BEST. DAY. EVER. Nothing got us in the party mood like biddi bom bom. That shit was lit and a class film. It was devastating to us when we found out it was a true story…

Selena Quintanilla was born on Aprils 16, 1971. She was the youngest of her siblings to Marcella Quintanilla and Abraham Quintanilla Jr. She was the perfect blend of her mother's Cherokee ancestry and her fathers Mexican descent. Her father Abraham, who was a former musician, noticed hr musical abilities when she was six. Everything was perfect from her pitch to her timing.

Her father opened up a restaurant where her and her siblings would performa occasionally. The following year after they opened, the restaurant was forced to close due to a recession in the economy. The family declared bankruptcy and was forced to move to Corpus Christi, Texas. In the time they moved, Selena and her siblings formed the band, Selena y Los Dinos. Her father stepped up as manager of the band and they began performing on street corners, weddings, and quinceaneras.

As Selena’s fame grew, it began to interfere with her schooling. She began homeschooling to be able to continue to tour. She finished her high school education and went on to being accepted at Louisiana State University but went on to Pacific Wester University for business administration. Her father then refurbished an old bus for them to tour in naming it appropriately “Big Bertha” for them to tour in.

By 1984, Selena y Los Dinos recorded their first EP for Freddie Records. She wanted to record english songs but the record label had her record Tejano songs. She KILLED it at a male dominated genre. This genre was made popular by Mexicans living in the United States. Her father also believe that she should record music that was closer to her heritage. She literally had to learn Spanish to be able to sing these songs.

In 1984 to promote the album, Selena appeared on a talk show that was popular in the Spanish-language genre, and went on to revisit for several years. Selena was discovered by musician Rick Trevino, founder of the Tejano Music Awards. Now. We all love a good award show, especially the red carpet but this is an oddly specific one that needs to get on people's radar. She was the Female Vocalist of the Year award in 1987 and then went on to win it for the next NINE YEAR. Freaking icon.

Now it wasn't always success for her. She encountered a lot of trouble trying to get on the stage as a female in a male dominated genre. There were a lot of people that doubted her and multiple venues wouldn't even book her because she is a female. [side note: we like to think Selena would be a feisty today and women would be up on the podium with Gloria Steinem speaking out for all women and equal rights.] But beside the doubts, Selena went on to record five more albums by 1988. BADASS.

Selena’s father then made the decision to move to EMi labels in hopes of getting a crossover label for Selena. He saw the potential that they could offer the family. Before she even started recording her debut album, they requested the crossover album from her. She went on to record three english-language songs for the heads of the label and they denied the crossover. They said that in order for her to complete the crossover, she would need a bigger fan base to sell an album like that. They lost faith in her ability to do the crossover.

Selena then release her self-titled album and it peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Regional Mexican album. She did was no other Tejano singer has done, including the men!

After the success she got after her debut album, Selena was approached by Coca-Cola for a commercial. The jingle was composed Chris Perez - who later joined Selena y Los DInos. Perez got the hots for Selena, but also who wouldn't, and thought it would be better for them to keep distant from each other but couldn't handle being away from her so they started pursuing a relationship. They expressed their love for each other in a Pizza Hut which is oddly relatable. Now with Selena’s dad be widely protective, they had to keep their relationship hidden.

Now with fame comes fans. And fans can be buck wild. A RN and fan named Yolanda Saldivar asked Selena’s dad to start a fan club in San Antonio. She came up with the idea after she attended one of her concerts. He approved and the fan club was in full swing in no time. She was trusted and became president of the club in 1991. She soon became a close friend to Selena and the entire family. [red flag]

Now back to the love story, Selena’s sister found Selena and Chris flirting and told their dad. He yanked Chris from the bus and told him that the relationship was over. But of course love wins, and they continued seeing each other. And in comes Selena’s mom. Now we don't know about your guys’ but moms generally take the daughter side, and she fully supported Selena and her relationship with Chris. They were caught again flirting and Selena’s dad fired Chris from the band but they refused to stop seeing each other.

On the morning of April 2nd 1992, Selena and Chris decided to elope knowing they would never get the approval of her father. He would be forced to accept him if he was her husband. After some time and arguments, her father eventually accepted him and invited him to join the band again.

Now circling back to Yolanda. The years leading up to 1994, Selena ventured out into the fashion world [a girl after our own heart] and opened a few boutiques selling clothing she designed. With the trust of the family, Yolanda was appointed manager of the boutique in 1994. Selena then signed Yolanda as a registered agent in San Antonio and following that, Yolanda moved to Corpus Christi to be closer to Selena. In December 1994, the boutiques began to suffer after the number of staff in the stores decreased. According to employees, Yolanda would fire the people she dislikes. They also claimed she displayed weird behavior towards Selena who would dismiss it. But who did not dismiss it was Selena’s dad who told Selena to be careful and that Yolanda might not be a good influence. Selena then dismissed her father because he has always been so distrustful with people.

People began to notice that Yolanda’s relationship with Selena was a full blown obsession #stagefiveclinger.

In Jan 1995, Selena’s father began receiving phone calls from fan club members that they haven't received anything after paying the fee. It came out that Yolanda had embezzled more than $30000 from the fan club AND boutiques. He held an immediate meeting with Selena and her sister on the night of march 9th to confront Yolanda. Selena’s dad said that if Yolanda could not provide evidence that disproved his accusations, he would get the police involved. He banned Yolanda from having contact with Selena which ruined Yolanda world and Selena. Selena did not think the no contact was necessary and wanted to remain friends. Also Selena knew she had bank records, statements and financial records.

Just days before Selena’s death, Yolanda refused to hand over important documents and said she was sexually assaulted in Mexico. They did not perform the correct exams needed for her assault because she was a resident of San Antonio, the assault happened in Mexico, and they were at a clinic in Corpus Christi.

After the visit, Selena met up with Yolanda in a hotel and demanded the financial papers she still had. Yolanda then pulled a gun from her purse and pointed it at Selena. Selena attempted to flee and was shot in the right lower shoulder, severing an artery and causing a lot of blood loss. Selena ran through the lobby, leaving a big ass trail of blood. She fell to the floor as the desk lady call 911. Yolanda was chasing her calling her bitch this whole time. Before collapsing, Selena cave the clerk the room number she had been shot in. Meanwhile, Yolanda ran out and tried to escape in her truck. However police stopped the hell out of her and lasted through a whole NINE HOUR STANDOFF.

Selena, unfortunately, was dead upon arrival at the hospital. They attempted to revive her with no luck. They couldn't keep a heartbeat long enough to revive her. After 50 minutes of surgery, they pronounced her dead from blood loss.

Selena will forever remain a bright soul and someone who changed the music industry from Mexican American Women and women in general. Whenever we need a pick-me-u, we listen to Coma la Flor or Bidi Bom Bom and feel like we can conquer the world.

So how are we taking this amazing woman and turning our a recipe inspired by her? The only thing that came to mind was Pan Dulce Conchas. They are a Mexican sweet bread with a bake sugary coating on time that get crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

So we introduce to you…

Selena Quintanilla’s Pan Dulce Conchas.

This recipe is inspired by Mexico in My Kitchen

Ingredients:

Bread:

3 ¾ cups Bread flour; keep out the bag cuz you’ll be doing some rolling and need to dust surfaces.

½ cup ish Regular Sugar.

2 ½ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast

½ teaspoon Salt

½ cup Butter. The non salted kind and for yall non-number guys, it's one stick butter.

1 egg. The big kind

1 tsp good vanilla

½ cup Milk warmish for the yeast.

Topping:

⅔ cup veg shortening

1 cup Powdered sugar

1 ish cup All Purpose Flour

2 ½ tsp Cocoa Powder for chocolate topping

Alright let’s bake this betch.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a stand mixer on medium: flour, yeast, sugar, and salt
Throw in that butter and mix it well using the hook attachment. Once it is all mixed up, throw in the egg and vanilla, SLOWLY pour in the mix. Get just a little extra milk handy just in case your dough is too dry.
You will let this kneed for like 7ish minutes. It will pull away from the sides of the bowl when it's ready.
Shape the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl and let rise. You know our hot tip for bread rising by now so turn on your dryer place on top and forget about it for 2 hours. Your ball will double in size. #yeastmagic
While the dough is rising, let's make the sugar topping.
Mix the shortening in mixer until softened and creamy. Then add the powdered sugar. Finally add the flour.
If you are added cocoa this would be the time to do it. Now we did it since we have chocolate lovers here at the Baking A Murderer Kitchen but in our personal opinion the regular ones are the best. But baking in freedom so do what you like! We won't judge, well maybe ;)
By now your dough should be ready. Grab it and divide into 16 small sections. Form each into a ball.
Place on your sheets lined with parchment [grease a sheet for y'all that don't like parchment]
Slightly rub tops of balls with some shortening, this helps the toppings stick to the top of the dough ball.
Divide the topping into 16 equal pieces and place on each ball after spreading into a little disk.
To get the trademark shell like detail we use a round cookie cutter and press over the surface of the topping.
Let the rise one more time for 2 hours in a warm spot. When they are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 and bake for 12ish minutes. We love enjoying these treats in the morning with coffee or for dessert in the winter with hot cocoa. Hope you enjoy.