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| Copyright Thomas Saaristo All Rights Reserved |
| Mardi Gras King Cake |
| This came on a card from New Orleans with a set of green, yellow, and purple sugar crystals for decorating the cake. Ingredients 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm 1 package yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1 egg, slightly beaten 4 1/2 cups flour One gilded bean or tiny toy baby Method Place butter, salt, and sugar in a bowl and add lukewarm milk. Stir to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter. Soften yeast in warm water and add along with eggs to milk mixture. Stir in 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup at a time. Turn out onto floured board. Knead lightly with the remaining flour for 2 minutes. Place in oiled bowl, cover, let rise for 2 hours. Punch down, then roll out into a cylinder about 18" long. Form into a round circle to resemble a crown, sealing edges. Place on a greased baking pan, brush with melted butter, and let rise 45 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until brown. Cool. Glaze with a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Sprinkle each third of the cake with the yellow, green, and purple sugar. Let glaze dry. Press a gilded bean or tiny "baby" into the underside of the cake. The person who gets the "baby" is king or queen of the occasion ... and has to make next year's Mardi Gras King Cake. |