King Cake RECIPE Photo albums.... Hi Amy

[Guest guest]

> Hey AMy... have you posted that King Mardi Gras Bread?? my best

> friend was talking about that bread last year, and I'd love to try

> to make a vegan versioN! =)

 

Jenni - I haven't unpacked my cookbooks yet (have to find the pins to

put the shelves in the bookcase before I can even start)... but you

can start by looking at a rich brioche (which has a lot of butter and

eggs - it will be a challenge for you! if you do it, please tell me)

recipe, as that is the base.

 

Basically I just braided it and colored it with food color and colored

sugar, as tradition calls for, or it can be a plain oval. Usually

there is a " baby Jesus " - doll, coin, or bean in it, and whoever gets

it in their piece is King for the day. This is only for Mardi Gras.

I picked it and made a slit and put it in, after baking, in case the

plastic baby would melt! No one could see the slit underneath so they

wouldn't know ahead of time where Jesus was. The purple is to

represent justice; green, to represent faith; and gold to represent

power. The are the colors used for Mardi Gras; other colors can be

used if you make it some other time of year (and you wouldn't have the

Jesus bean either if it isn't Mardi Gras).

 

I just remembered!!! A friend had borrowed the New Orleans cookbook,

and didn't get it back to us until after out stuff was packed, so I do

have that cookbook out! Here ya go:

 

King Cake:

 

1 pkg yeast

1/4 c warm water

6 tbsp milk, scalded and cooled

4 c flour

1 c butter

3/4 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

4 eggs

melted butter

 

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk and enough flour,

about 1/2 cup, to make a soft dough. In another bowl, combine butter,

sugar, salt and eggs with the electric mixer. Remove from mixer and

add soft ball of yeast dough. Mix thoroughly. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups

flour to make a medium dough that is neither too soft nor too stiff.

Place in a greased bowl brush top of dough with {{melted}} butter.

Cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk,

about 3 hours. Use remaining 1 cup flour to knead dough and roll with

hands into a rope shape. Place on a 14 " x 7 " greased cookie sheet and

form rope of dough into an oval shape. The center should be about 7 "

x 12 " . Connect the ends of the dough by dampening with water. Cover

and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (A bean may be

placed in the cake if desired.) Bake in a 325* F oven for 35 to 45

minutes, or until lightly browned. Decorate by brushing the top of

cake with corn syrup and alternating 3 " bands of purple, green and

gold colored granulated sugar. (To color sugar, add a few drops of

food coloring to sugar, and shake in a tightly covered jar until

desired color is achieved.)