Hobnob Kitchen

Back in ye olden days I moved from Texas to South Louisiana for a few years. There are so many things I love about that time- both my boys were born there, we met some of the loveliest, most genuine people, I fell in love with the Cajun accent, and last but definitely not least (sorry boys!) I flipped  head over heels for the food. We should note that this was before the Food Channel and social media and the real explosion in popularity of regional and international cuisine. It was before cell phones and Facebook and fancy photos on Instagram and before this sheltered Texan learned that not everyone’s general diet consisted mostly of chicken and dumplings, deviled eggs and pound cake. You ate what your Momma cooked and I thought all the Mommas were the same.  Who knew Cajun Momma’s were so different? And fabulous.

I remember the first time I saw a King Cake in the bakery section of the Piggly Wiggly. It was surely the gaudiest thing I had ever seen, so imagine my surprise at the taste and the story behind it. I can’t say the taste of all the grocery store versions were great, but mon cher, this one is!

      The King Cake is a traditional treat served throughout the Mardi Gras season. Although you’ll find many versions, (depending upon geographic area) most are yeast type cakes braided and formed into a ring. They may or may not contain a filling of some sort, but almost all are topped with a sweet icing and decorated with colored sugar in the very traditional purple, green and gold colors of the season.

The gaudier the better.

The cake is named for the biblical Three Kings and commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child. Many versions of the cake contain a small plastic Christ child figurine or other bauble (such as a dried bean) and the person who gets the piece containing it is either given a designation of “King” or “Queen” of the day or the obligation to provide the next King Cake.


This one is easy, has an extremely tender dough and quite honestly is the best I’ve tasted.  And I’m proud if not slightly ashamed to say I’ve tasted many.

The Praline filling? Extra swoony.


Best of all, the ingredients are probably already in your pantry. Try it for yourself!

King Cake

Luann Thomas

Ingredients

4 ¾ c. flour (divided)

¼ c. sugar (plus additional for topping)

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 pkg. dry yeast

¾ c. milk

½ c. water

1 ½ sticks butter

2 eggs

Powdered sugar, milk and vanilla for glaze

Green, gold, and purple sanding sugars

Optional Praline Filling

In a large bowl mix together 2 cups light brown sugar, 1 ¾ cups chopped pecans, I T. cinnamon and ½ c. flour. Pour 1 ½ sticks melted butter over the mixture until well combined.

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 c. flour, 1/4 c. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 packages yeast.

2. Heat 3/4 c. milk, 1/2 c. water and 1 1/2 sticks butter until very warm, about 120 to 130 degrees

3. Add to dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer.

4. Add eggs and 1/2 c. flour. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining flour (2 3/4 c.) to make a stiff batter.

5. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. (Or if you forget about it, 4 hours like me…)

6. Remove dough from fridge and punch down.

7.  Move dough to a lightly floured surface and divide into 3 equal portions for one large King Cake, or into 6 portions for two smaller ones. Each small cake feeds about 10 -12!

8. Roll each portion out flat (if making one cake each portion will roll out to about 28×4 inches, and for two small cakes about 12×4).

Melt one stick of butter in microwave.

Have 1 cup sugar ready (and about 1 T. cinnamon). I decided not to use cinnamon this time…

Brush each portion with melted butter, sprinkle evenly with sugar, and cinnamon (if you’re using it)

*Or instead of the butter, sugar cinnamon, spread on the optional praline filling here if using- highly recommend!

9. Beginning at long end, roll each up tightly as for a jellyroll.

10. Pinch the seams to form long ropes. 

Braid, then form into an oval (or circle) Pinch the ends together to seal. Place on a greased baking sheet.

I brushed on the remaining butter, sprinkled on the rest of the sugar, cover and let rise for another hour (it was closer to 2 because I forgot to preheat the oven until the last minute…)

Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly golden. Let cool on wire racks and then glaze with 2 cups powdered sugar mixed with 2-3 T. milk, 1/8 tsp vanilla, and a pinch of salt…

Then sprinkle with purple, green and gold sanding sugars and make it as gaudy as possible!