Mardi Gras King Cake

My recipe is modified from this one from All Recipes.

Ingredients
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 C white sugar
1 C warm milk

1/2 C butter, melted and mostly cooled
5 egg yolks

4 1/2 C all purpose flour + more for kneading
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

for the filling:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C powdered sugar

for the icing:
2 C powdered sugar
scant 1/4 C lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk

green, yellow, and purple sprinkles

Directions:
Melt the butter and set aside so it can cool a bit.  Preheat the oven to 175; when it reaches the temp turn off the oven so it is the right temperature for raising the dough.

Mix the first three ingredients together; set aside for about 10 minutes while yeast activates.

Blend butter and egg yolks in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest.

Combine yest and butter mixtures.  When well blended, add the flour mixture.  When the dough has gathered into a ball in the bowl, dump it onto a lightly floured surface to knead.  Add flour as needed; the dough should be soft but not sticky. 

Take a large, oven-proof bowl (I use a large, glass bowl - the same one I mix in so I have to quickly wash it out.) and lightly coat with canola oil.  Put the dough in the bowl and flip it over so the top of the dough is coated with oil.  Loosely cover with a damp towel (I used a wet paper towel) and place in a warm oven.  It should take 1-2 hours for the dough to double.  Meanwhile mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.

When doubled, remove the dough from the bowl and roll out into a long, thin rectangle, approximately 6"x30".  (You could also divide the dough in half and make two smaller King Cakes.)  Spread the cream cheese filling down the center of the rectangle.  Fold the two sides over the filling, creating a thick rope.  Pinch the ends of the rope shut so the filling won't bake out. 

Place the rope on a lightly greased baking sheet, seam side down.  If you have a baby Jesus to bake into it, put it in now.  Position the dough so the hole in the center is large and won't fill in as the dough rises again.  Put a damp cloth on it again and place in a re-warmed oven so it can rise again.  This will take 30-60 minutes.

When the dough has raised again take out of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the icing. 

When the King Cake has cooled frost with the lemon-icing.  Add purple, green, and yellow sprinkles. 

Irish Breakfast

How we celebrated St. Patrick's Day, a day early.

Ingredients:
green milk
sausage links
fried eggs
tomato slices
sliced mushrooms
Irish Soda farls*

Directions:
Cook everything in skillet.
Serve warm with Pandora's Celtic station playing in the background.

*A farl is a slice of Irish soda bread warmed in a skillet - or at least that's what I understand it to be.  I could be wrong about this.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1 cup buttermilk**

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup buttermilk**

Directions:

Mix first group of ingredients.

Add buttermilk and egg.

Turn out dough and knead gently. 

Form into round, place on greased baking sheet, and mark with a cross.

Mix melted butter and 1/4 C buttermilk and spread on dough.

Bake at 375 for 45 mins

** Buttermilk substitute:  1 Tbsp vinegar + short cup milk 

Banana Bread

This recipe was given to me by my old roommate Lori.  It is Trav's favorite - in fact he likes it so much he asks me to buy a bunch of bananas and then leaves 2 every week so I'll make a loaf. 

I've written it out according to the way I bake it.

Mix the following ingredients in a medium sized bowl:
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 heaping tsp cinnamon

Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:
1 egg (I usually use 1 rounded Tbsp of applesauce so it's friendly for my son with egg allergies)
2* bananas, mashed
1/4 C oil
3/4 C sugar

Fold the wet into the dry and mix well. 
Pour into a greased loaf pan.
Using a heavy hand, sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 50-55 mins, or until a tester comes out clean.

*I have used 1 banana before (used some applesauce for more moisture) and 3 bananas before.  We prefer it with 2 since 3 makes it a bit too banana-y for us.