...aaaand the winner is, with a guess of 883 and being closest to the number of beads in my head (LOL) of 935.....Linda Crow of 2nd Cup of Coffee
Congratulations! Let me know your preferred flavor of King Cake so I can go order and ship it to ya! We'll expect full reportage on the glory of the yummy baked good after it arrives and is consumed. (Warning: A wee plastic baby may or may not be hidden inside the cake, so please do not chomp down unawares. I am not legally responsible for chipped teeth or broken crowns!) :)
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Check out my fun poem over at The Found Poetry Project -- A Slow Cooker, and leave a comment if you're so inclined.
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If you're interested in making your own King Cake for a Mardi Gras celebration, here's an easy recipe and a little history for ya:
Also known as Twelfth Night Cake, the brioche-style King Cake is made in Louisiana bakeries for the period between the Twelfth Night (January 6) and Ash Wednesday.
This delicious tradition is thought to have begun with French settlers, and dating back to 12th century France, when a similar cake was used to celebrate the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas, calling it the feast of Epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King's Day.
The cakes are traditionally baked in the round shape to commemorate the circular route taken by the Kings, and usually contained a bean, pea, or a figurine symbolizing the baby Jesus. Around 1871 the tradition of choosing the Mardi Gras queen by who drew the prize-filled piece of cake began. Now the "winner" provides the next cake or hosts the next party.
Mardi Gras colors were chosen in 1872 to symbolize Justice (purple), Faith (green), and Power (gold).
King Cake
1 packet dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 Tbs. milk, scalded and cooled
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
8 oz. butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 tsp. melted butter
very small plastic doll
light corn syrup for topping
Colored sugar sprinkles (or make your own with granulated sugar colored with food coloring -- green, purple, and yellow)
Prepare yeast in warm water. Add milk and about 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, salt and eggs. Add yeast mixture and mix well. Slowly add in 2 1/2 cups flour to make a medium dough. Place in a greased bowl and brush with melted butter. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise double in size (3-4 hours).
Use 1 cup or more flour to knead dough and roll into a 4 to 5-foot long rope. Form into a oval on a 14 x 17" greased baking sheet, connecting ends of the rope with a few drops of water, pinching to make a good seal.
Press the doll into the dough from bottom. Cover dough ring with a damp cloth and let rise about 1 hour. Bake at 325° for 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Brush top of cake with corn syrup and sprinkle with alternating bands of colored sugar. Cut, serve, enjoy!
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Now, friend Bella (aka That Damn Expat) has an important Public Service Announcement on the subject of Bletiquette; something I've touched on in a post or two here. Bella's version, however, seemed to touch a lot of nerves with 83 comments, so be sure to read her no-holds-barred list. Parts of it made me laugh out loud. Thanks, you crazy blog owner, for giving me permission to link to this important PSA.
Posts
22 comments:
What did I say? 400? Wow was I off.
Thanks for the link. I've just stopped receiving negative feedback on it and now I'll get some more :-P
And I'm laughing my ass off at that poem!
Congrats to Linda. I hope you'll let us know what the rest of us are missing. Fun contest, Angie. Thanks for that.
LOL, Bella, and thanks.
Hilary, you're welcome. Was fun.
Four or five foot roll out? How big is your kitchen work top?! Yikes! x
I think I'm going to have to check out Bella's place. That's a lot of comments. LOL
Thanks for the recipe. Not only do you have to roll it out 4 to 5 feet, you gotta somehow push that baby in from the bottom! Maybe I'll be brave and give it a try.
Jinksy, I'm assuming you'd use your dining room table? :)
Do check out Bella's place, Jessica. She's doesn't hold back and is a little salty, so prepare your eyeballs. LOL
You're welcome, Helen. (Lift up the dough's edge and shove that baby in!) Let us know if you make it! :)
Plastic dolls in the oven? Hmm? Since I'm not much of a baker (more of a gourmet meal maker), I'll let all of you let me know how it works out.
Yay, congrats to the cake winner! And thanks for the Expat's link. I've seen her around, but never checked her out. :)
Congrat you the cake winner! Yikes, I had it in the thousands!!
I'll go check on the blog eti rules. btw-- do you have to do a word before posting in mine, Angie? If so I'll try and disable. :D
Yay for the second cup!!!
I think I'm going to try that recipe. If you dont have a plastic toy or baby, can you use a real baby or maybe say a small dog?
Just currious.
Kings Cakes ARE AWESOME!! Congrats "coffee" for winning - you will LOVE it...!
That cake looks delicious! YUM.
Damn. I was WAY off. Of course, people have been saying that about me for years now, so...
Nannette, personally, I'd insert that little baby AFTER the cake was done. :)
I can promise you won't be bored, Janna. (I howl at Bellas exploits with the tres crazy neighbors!)
Kimmi, I'll check your word verification when I visit today.
LOL, Mrs. Parks. You can put anything you want in that cake. :)
Kat & Melissa, can ya believe I haven't had any yet this year? And here we are at the beginning of crawfish season!
LOL, Suldog. Birds of a feather...
Congrats to Linda. If she hadn't been the very first person in the whole world to comment on my blog, I would not be happy for her to win. I am really selfish like that.
Man! My guess was WAY off! LOL! Thanks for the recipe, it's sounds awesome and not too hard!
Shoot....I just read Bella's blog etiquette post and now I'm bummed. I don't always reply to folks who comment...but I ALWAYS read and appreciate them...and I just turned the word verification thingy off now. Sigh...so much to learn....
Well there goes my heart...splat because I didn't win. I've always wanted to taste a King Cake. Congrats to the winner!
As far as the Bletiquette rules from Bella, they were a fun read. I hate rigid rules though because I like variety and rigid rules often stifle creativity.
I've also noticed as a fairly new Blogger that everyone has a slightly different set of rules. There is zero chance of complying and satisfying everyone's rules so I just do what feels right to me.
Just stopping by to tell you that I've given you an award at my blog. Thanks for being so wonderful in so many ways!
poop! my price is right technique was not successful. clearly, next time i'll have to head for the deal or no deal route.
and poop again! i tried to read bella's bletiquette, but i couldn't find her blog. i hope the angry people didn't run her off. i bet that's bad bletiquette: being angry so you run people off.
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