While some people might wish they were enjoying some gumbo on Bourbon Street or starting the day at Café Du Monde with a beignet and café au lait, many people are waking up to their typical routine. Although Fat Tuesday is full of food traditions, it might be time to get into the kitchen and enjoy a taste of the Big Easy at home. These Mardi Gras recipes will have the good times rolling all day long.
As some people appreciate, the Fat Tuesday is a time to indulge in a few more treats before Lent begins. For others, the Mardi Gras celebration is a time to enjoy some delicious food choices. From Mardi Gras cocktails to sweet treats, there are a variety of options to fill the table.
One iconic Mardi Gras celebration food is the King Cake. The colorful, sweet treat is a classic. While there is a classic flavor, Albertsons and DoorDash offered delivery of the dessert. According to the two brands, the delivery program shipped “nearly 1,100 King Cakes across 664 cities in all 50 states” last year.
Universal Orlando Mardi Gras, King Cake, photo provided by Cristine Struble
For those people who prefer to get into the kitchen and make their own version of the King Cake, Pink House Alchemy has shared their recipe for the classic dessert. While there are a lot of ingredients and steps, making your own King Cake will impress everyone around the table.
King Cake
Ingredients:
Dough:
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tbs butter
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ⅓ cup warm water
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 egg (room temperature and slightly beaten)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbs pH Delight Syrup
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- · Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup pH Delight
- 1 tbs cinnamon
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbs whole milk
- 1 tbs pH Delight Syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Method:
- Heat milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 – 45 seconds until the butter is melted, then add salt. Let this mixture cool slightly.
- In a mixing bowl, add the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir this until the yeast dissolves and let this sit for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
- Once the yeast has activated, add the milk + butter mixture, egg, vanilla, pH delight, and 2 cups of bread flour. Knead this with a bread hook on a medium speed for 5 mins or by hand for 10. Slowly add in the remaining flour if the dough is too sticky.
- Once the dough has been kneaded, spray another bowl with nonstick cooking spray and add the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let the dough sit until it’s doubled in size (about 75-90 mins).
Filling:
- Beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, then add the remaining ingredients. It will be a little sticky, but that is okay.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has been proofed, lightly flour a hard surface to roll out the dough. It should be a 10 x 18 inch rectangle. Once you get the dough to this size, add the cream cheese mixture to one side of the dough and fold the remaining dough on top (you should now have a 5 x 9-inch rectangle.
- Cut this in half and braid the two pieces together to form a braided circle. (I like to pinch the last bit of dough together.
- Move the ring to the parchment-lined baking sheet and let it proof again for another 45 mins.
- During this second proof, you can preheat the oven to 335 degrees. The lower temperature helps the middle cook without burning the outside.
- Bake the cake for 30-35 mins. The top will be golden brown.
- Let the cake cool for 30 minutes until you add the glaze and sprinkle.
Glaze:
- Make the glaze while the cake cools by adding all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking it together. The glaze will be thick. That is what you want.
- Before you glaze your cake, add a gold coin or a baby figurine to a random section of the cake (just make sure it is fully pushed down into the cake).
- Once the glaze is ready, you can pour it on your cake and then decorate it with purple, yellow, and dark green sanding sugar. You can find the sugar along the baking aisle at the grocery store or any craft store.
For those unfamiliar, the gold coin or baby is considered good luck for the person who finds it. Also, it determines who has to bring the King Cake for the following year’s celebration.
While King Cake is often the colorful Mardi Gras recipes option, many people opt for beignets. The classic fried dough smothered in powdered sugar is a favorite. Disney and Universal have shared their recipes before. Even Cracker Barrel’s the Pancake Kitchen offers its biscuit beignets for delivery.
As for other Mardi Gras recipes, gumbo, etouffee, and even just a big plate of crawfish can keep the good food and good times rolling. A taste of NOLA is not limited to the Big Easy. It can be found in your own kitchen, if you are willing to put forth the effort.
