Wednesday, February 17, 2024

KING’S CAKE

King's Cake=

King’s Cake

Mardi Gras Cake, Braided Cake, or Three King’s Cake Whatever you call it, this scrumptious cake with its purple, green, and yellow colored sugars is a delicacy with a surprise inside. The King Cake has been in icon in New Orlean’s culture for centuries. Originating back to the Twelfth day after Christmas (The Epiphany) the King Cake represents biblical kings bringing gifts to hone the Baby Jesus in Behtlehem. This tasty treat is eaten from the beginning of the Carnival season (January 6) until "Fat Tuesday" or Mardi Gras Day. This day is celebrated on the day before Ash Wednesday. The King Cake can have delectable fillings of apple, cream, or strawberries inside. For some people just the sweet cinnamon filling is enough. Whatever flavoring you are partial to in an authentic King Cake someone will find a surprise in their serving. Dating back to the Roman Empire, a small trinket was baked inside of The King Cake. Today a small plastic baby is placed inside. This baby represents the Baby Jesus. Whoever gets the baby has to bring the next cake to the next carnival celebration. The dough for The King Cake is braided or twisted before it is baked. The King Cake has such a rich and sweet flavor that its more like a pastry than a bread. Each cake is topped with a sugar icing and then decorated with purple, green and gold (yellow) sprinkles. These are the colors of the Mardi Gras.

  • Purple represents Justice
  • Green symbolizes Faith
  • Gold stands for Power

It wouldn’t be a true Mardi Gras festival without King Cakes. Full of rich, cinnamon enhanced dough, these delicacies are craved throughout the country. Many cake shoppes sell King’s Cakes during the carnival season. The cake itself is made similar to a brioche. King Cake Recipe Cake:

  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F.)
  • 2 eggs
  • 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • Colored Frostings (see below)
  • Colored Sugars (see below)
  • Dried pea, bean, or 1-inch tall plastic or ceramic baby (optional, see Note)

    Frosting:

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Colored sugars:
  • 1-1/2 cups white sugar

Directions

  1. Cook butter or margarine, sour cream, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to 100 degrees to 110 degrees F.
  2. Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
  3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
  4. Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
  5. Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half each of cinnamon mixture and softened butter on dough. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mixture, and butter.
  6. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
  7. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Decorate with bands of Colored Frostings, and sprinkle with Colored Sugars.
  8. Frosting:
  9. Stir together powdered sugar and melted butter. Add milk to reach desired consistency for drizzling; stir in vanilla.
  10. Colored Sugars:
  11. Place 1/2 cup sugar and drop of green food coloring in a jar or zip-top plastic bag; seal. Shake vigorously to evenly mix color with sugar. Repeat procedure with 1/2 cup sugar and yellow food coloring. For purple, combine 1 drop red and 1 drop blue food coloring before adding to remaining 1/2 cup sugar.

 

A  printable version of this recipe available HERE 

Monday, January 25, 2024

Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake=

Red Velvet Cake


 

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE

½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces Red Food Coloring
2 TBL cocoa (heaping)
1 cup buttermilk
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar

INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING

3 TBL flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE)

DIRECTIONS FOR CAKE

  • Cream shortening, sugar and eggs
  • Make a paste of the food coloring and cocoa
  • Add to creamed mixture
  • Add buttermilk – alternating with flour and salt
  • Add vanilla
  • Add soda to vinegar
  • Blend in to mixture
  • Pour into 3 or 4 greased and floured 8″ pans
  • Bake at 350 F. for 24-30 minutes
  • Frost layers and cake with frosting

DIRECTIONS FOR FROSTING

  • Slowing add milk to flour – make sure no lumps
  • Cook flour and milk, stirring constantly, until very thick
  • Cool completely
  • Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy
  • Add to the cooked mixture
  • Beat on high speed until very fluffy

If you would like a printable version of this recipe

Click HERE


 

Friday, February 13, 2024

Pecan Linzer Cookies with Cherry Filling

Pecan Linzer Cookies with Cherry Filling=

Pecan Linzer Cookies  Cherry Filling

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup cherry jam, strained 


Directions
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside. Pulse pecans, confectioners’ sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely ground (but not wet); transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add butter and granulated sugar; mix on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Halve dough; shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Cut out squares with a 2-inch fluted cutter. Cut out centers of half the squares with a 1/2-inch heart cutter; reroll scraps. Space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake squares and hearts until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.Meanwhile, heat jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced and thickened, about 7 minutes; let cool.Sprinkle cutout cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Spread jam onto uncut squares; top with cutout ones. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Martha always has just the right recipe for the right occasion. This is definitely a cookie I will make again.

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