Texas Tigers

Search This Blog

Blog Archive

Popular Posts

Copright Texas Tigers Blog. Powered by Blogger.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Happy Mardi Gras

Since the grocery stores here can't do the same justice to a king cake that the ones back in Louisiana did and I haven't found a bakery that makes them around here. Plus they do weird things like have pink sugar/icing on them?! So I did my annual tradition since moving here of making king cake for Mardi Gras. 

Doesn't it look delicious? 
Well it was! I made it for Abby's Bible class snack (along with some clementines) and left the rest for all the teachers to enjoy and it went fast. I hope everyone who wanted some got some but it was gone quick! 
I did learn a new thing - apparently Beau doesn't like king cake. {Yes crazy I know!} He however enjoys cinnamon rolls - in fact cinnamon rolls made from the same exact recipe. I gave him a little bit of harassing about that this morning so he had one piece for breakfast - before I got around to taking a picture - hence the piece missing in the pictures. 

I got the recipe from my mom and it's great - and easy! 

Here it is if anyone wants to give it a shot next year - or to make yummy cinnamon rolls.

Cinnamon Rolls / King cake 

4 to 4 1/3 cups all purpose flour  
1 package active dry yeast 
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter (or margarine)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs

1/2 - 3/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 cup flour
1/3 - 1/2 cup butter or margarine
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together, cut in butter until uniformly crumbly. 

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of the flour and yeast; set aside.  In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup butter and salt until just warm and butter almost melts.  Add milk mixture to the flour and yeast.  Add eggs while beating with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl to combine everything thoroughly.  Beat on high speed 3 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.  
(Lisa's notes- don't worry if you have flour left - you'll use the rest while kneading) 

2. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead in remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total) Shape dough into a ball.  Place dough into a lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease the top of the dough.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour)

3. Punch dough down.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Lightly grease two 9" round baking pans or a single 9 x 13 baking pan.

4. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle of even thickness.  Add filling and roll up into a spiral starting from a long side, jelly roll style.  Pinch the seam edges to seal the roll. 
Slice the roll into pieces of 1-1/2 inches and arrange in the prepared pans.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap, leaving room for the rolls to rise.
Let rise in a warm place until doubled (30-45 minutes) 
Or- refrigerate for 2-24 hours. If refrigerated - uncover the rolls and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Break any surface bubbles with a greased toothpick.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until light brown.
Cool slightly, remove from pans and drizzle with powdered sugar icing or glaze.

Powdered Sugar Glaze
1 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
milk or cream to thin to desired consistency.

Powdered sugar icing
1  1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons butter
milk or cream
Combine powdered sugar with the butter, add vanilla and thin with milk or cream.

Cinnamon roll Variations
Add raisins, nuts, chopped apple to filling.

To shape into a king cake - after rolling the dough into your filled spiral, roll it gently on your surface to lengthen the roll until you can shape it into an oval.  Seal the ends together and place on a cookie sheet.  Allow the king cake to rise 30-45 minutes and bake at 375 until lightly browned.  Ice and decorate as desired. The traditional colors are purple, yellow and green.   Don't forget to put your favor in the king cake- if it is not plastic, put it in when you sprinkle the filling on the dough before you roll the cake up.  If it is a plastic baby, insert it into the cake from the bottom after the cake is baked and cools slightly. 

other notes- try to keep the flour to a minimum.  The rolls will be tenderest if the dough is very light.  Don't worry if it is a little sticky.



Lisa said...

Your king cake looks crazy delicious! Glad it turned out so well. Home baked goodies never last long!

Brittany said...

Yummy...cheers to your mommy I made it and it was sooo good! I nearly ate it all! Now I had a dream about some peach cobbler we used to make back in the day Miss Katie!! I need that recipe next! =)