King Cake Season! My recipe.

Carnival is upon us and it reminds me of 2 things:king cakes and my birthday! Yes. My birthday season was always a ton of fun because it coincided with Mardi Gras season/Carnival. Sure there were parades, beads, hilarious drunken fools roaming the streets, bands and dance teams working it in front of floats, but the true reason to be happy was for King Cakes. I'm sure to regular people, there doesn't seems to be anything special about this cake, but if you grew up in NOLA, you'd understand the true magic of this delectable cake. For the record, it is more like a bread if we're getting technical...but the icing/sugar on top totally transforms this into a "cake."

On that note, I'm a purist. I'm not into over icing the King Cake, nor do I like the raspberry, apple, peach or cream cheese fillings that take away from the yummy dough. Don't get me wrong, I'll still scarf down a cream cheese King Cake, but I'll feel dirty afterwards! My philosophy when it comes to King Cakes is "less is more." There's no sticky filling to cover up the taste of the dough. Which, thereby puts more emphasis on making a delicious dough. It's paramount. McKenzie's Bakery did it best. However, they are vamoose! No more. Gone. (tear.) I still think of them every January through February.

And for those of you who can't get King Cakes(even crappy impostors they hawk in Texas) or don't have a baking bone in your body...try Greek Easter bread. It's not the same, but a close 2nd in my book! And for you foodies who want to know the history of Mardi Gras, I found a simple excerpt to shed some light on the situation.


Origins of Mardi Gras

SOURCE:www.eastjeffersonparish.com

The history of Mardi Gras began long before Europeans set foot in the New World. In mid February the ancient Romans celebrated the Lupercalia, a circus like festival not entirely unlike the Mardi Gras we are familiar with today. When Rome embraced Christianity, the early Church fathers decided it was better to incorporate certain aspects of pagan rituals into the new faith rather than attempt to abolish them altogether. Carnival became a period of abandon and merriment that preceded the penance of Lent, thus giving a Christian interpretation to the ancient custom.

Mardi Gras came to America in 1699 with the French explorer Iberville. Mardi Gras had been celebrated in Paris since the Middle Ages, where it was a major holiday. Iberville sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, from where he launched an expedition up the Mississippi River. On March 3 of 1699, Iberville had set up a camp on the west bank of the river about 60 miles south of where New Orleans is today. This was the day Mardi Gras was being celebrated in France. In honor of this important day, Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras.



Dough
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup all purpose shortening
4 cups all purpose flour
2 lg. eggs
1 cup milk (room temperature)
2 sm. packs active dry yeast
¼ tsp lemon flavor
¼ tsp orange flavor
¼ tsp vanilla flavor
¼ tsp butter flavor
½ cup canola oil
½ cup cinnamon sugar
Colored Sugar
3 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp purple food color
1 tsp yellow food color
1 tsp green food color





In a mixer at first speed combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar, salt, and shortening until well creamed.
Add eggs and continue to cream.
Dissolve the yeast in the milk and add the flavors.
Once dissolved add to creamed mixture and continue to mix.
Add flour and mix until dough tightens.
Remove from mixer and kneed into a ball.
At this point sprinkle some flour on top and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Allow the dough to rest for 1½ hours
While the dough is resting mix your colored sugars.
Start by taking one cup of sugar and your yellow food coloring.
Mix by hand with a wire wisk in a metal bowl until the sugar turns yellow.
Pour you yellow sugar into a separate bowl and put off to the side.
Repeat this process mixing green then purple. (By doing them in that order you only dirty one mixingbowl)
When dough has rested roll out into an oblong piece.
Brush on canola oil covering the entire piece.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar liberally over the whole piece.
Once the dough is covered with the cinnamon sugar and oil, fold it in half lengthwise.
Cut into 3 strips and braid the dough.
Gently roll the dough by starting at one end and working all the way down to the other end.
This will make the dough a nice long piece that can then be shaped into a circle.
Once shaped place on a baking pan covered with piece of parchment.
Allow the dough to rest again until it doubles in size.
At this point take a spoon and alternate sprinkling the three colored sugars on top of your circular piece of dough.
Bake at 370 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until dough is golden brown.