Like I said, I made the cake last night. Followed the recipe I linked to above but, even though the yeast "proofed" OK, the dough hadn't risen noticeably after two hours. No way was I going to throw out all the time, effort and ingredients that went into making that dough. So I mixed up another packet of yeast with a little water and a little sugar and a little flour and let it foam up for a while. It made a"sponge" or "poolish" which I then incorporated into the "bad" dough and let the whole mess rise again, which, it did.
I was surprised that I actually salvaged the dough and that it baked up as well as it did. We had some for breakfast and will probably have a slice with coffee in a few minutes...."Laissez le bon temps rouler" ...."Let the Good Times Roll"... yeah, right. So, save a link, the recipe is below:
KING CAKE
This is the traditional New Orleans Carnival dessert or Brioche. Carnival (Goodbye to the Flesh/Meat) begins after Epiphany and extends through Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) the day before Ash Wednesday and Lent. Some lucky party-goer will find the plastic baby ( which is the Christchild - the King) and must bring a King Cake to the next get together. Commercially baked cakes bear a warning about the hidden choking hazard baked in the cake.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup warm water
2 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
31/2 cups unsifted flour; 1 cup additional flour
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup warm milk
5 egg yolks, scrambled with fork
10 tbsp softened butter (1 stick + 2 tbsp)
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 small plastic baby doll (or dried bean or coin)
DIRECTIONS
Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl, add yeast and 2 tsp sugar. Mix and allow to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes until the mixture bubbles. Add the 1/2 cup of warm milk and the egg yolks.
Combine 31/2 cups of the flour, salt, lemon zest, the remaining sugar, nutmeg, and sift into the liquid mixture about a cup at a time, mixing well with a wooden spoon. After adding about 2 cups of flour, beat in 8 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp at a time until you can't see the butter. Add the rest of the flour mixture. Place the dough on a floured counter or bread board and knead, gradually adding up to 1 cup more flour. Knead about 10 more minutes, till the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a large buttered bowl and butter the surface of the dough ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 11/2 hours, till double.
Coat a baking sheet or pizza pan with butter. Place the dough on a floured counter, punch it down a bit and sprinkle with cinnamon. Divide the dough in two and shape each into a cylindrical or rope shape, lay them side by side, pinch the ends together and twist them around each other. (Or make three ropes and braid). Form the twist into a ring or wreath and place it on the buttered baking sheet. Hide the plastic doll inside the ring. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for at least 45 minutes in warm place.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the cake with an egg wash (1 egg with 1 tbsp milk). Bake for 25-35 minutes till golden brown. Allow to cool.
ICING
Optional: Prepare colored sugar by putting 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar into each of three small plastic containers with tight lids. Into one place a few drops of yellow food coloring and shake well till all the sugar is yellow. In the second, place a few drops of green and do the same; in the last place three drops of red and one or two drops of blue to make purple and shake till well blended. (adjust color if you like). As an option just divide the icing below in three parts and color one green, one yellow, one purple.
Use about 1/2 box of confectioners sugar (about 11/2 cups) and add 1 tsp real lemon extract. Add cold water one tsp at a time until the sugar icing stirs easily but not watery.
When the cake is cool drizzle the white (or colored) icing on the cake until it is entirely coated. Take the colored sugars and sprinkle on in bands of yellow, green and purple. (Three bands in each quarter of the cake). Place Mardi Gras beads around the cake for presentation.
(WARNING: Plastic toy in cake may be choking or dental hazard).
2 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 tsp sugar
31/2 cups unsifted flour; 1 cup additional flour
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup warm milk
5 egg yolks, scrambled with fork
10 tbsp softened butter (1 stick + 2 tbsp)
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 small plastic baby doll (or dried bean or coin)
DIRECTIONS
Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl, add yeast and 2 tsp sugar. Mix and allow to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes until the mixture bubbles. Add the 1/2 cup of warm milk and the egg yolks.
Combine 31/2 cups of the flour, salt, lemon zest, the remaining sugar, nutmeg, and sift into the liquid mixture about a cup at a time, mixing well with a wooden spoon. After adding about 2 cups of flour, beat in 8 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp at a time until you can't see the butter. Add the rest of the flour mixture. Place the dough on a floured counter or bread board and knead, gradually adding up to 1 cup more flour. Knead about 10 more minutes, till the dough is smooth and elastic.
Place the dough into a large buttered bowl and butter the surface of the dough ball. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 11/2 hours, till double.
Coat a baking sheet or pizza pan with butter. Place the dough on a floured counter, punch it down a bit and sprinkle with cinnamon. Divide the dough in two and shape each into a cylindrical or rope shape, lay them side by side, pinch the ends together and twist them around each other. (Or make three ropes and braid). Form the twist into a ring or wreath and place it on the buttered baking sheet. Hide the plastic doll inside the ring. Cover with a towel and allow to rise for at least 45 minutes in warm place.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the cake with an egg wash (1 egg with 1 tbsp milk). Bake for 25-35 minutes till golden brown. Allow to cool.
ICING
Optional: Prepare colored sugar by putting 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar into each of three small plastic containers with tight lids. Into one place a few drops of yellow food coloring and shake well till all the sugar is yellow. In the second, place a few drops of green and do the same; in the last place three drops of red and one or two drops of blue to make purple and shake till well blended. (adjust color if you like). As an option just divide the icing below in three parts and color one green, one yellow, one purple.
Use about 1/2 box of confectioners sugar (about 11/2 cups) and add 1 tsp real lemon extract. Add cold water one tsp at a time until the sugar icing stirs easily but not watery.
When the cake is cool drizzle the white (or colored) icing on the cake until it is entirely coated. Take the colored sugars and sprinkle on in bands of yellow, green and purple. (Three bands in each quarter of the cake). Place Mardi Gras beads around the cake for presentation.
(WARNING: Plastic toy in cake may be choking or dental hazard).
2 comments:
OMG what an awesome blog Frank. Perfect pic at top of the steaming pot of whatever, I'm sure it's totally scrumptious. I'm not much of a cook but I'll be following with great interest. And passing on ideas to the ex-roommate who is heavily into la cuisine.
Been trying to encourage him to do a cooking blog, maybe you two should collaborate. Would be an awesome team-up if we could get you two in the same kitchen sometime. Grin.
Thanks Russ, Its just a new diversion while I wait for work. I will probably be doing less cooking next week as there are some grant deadlines coming up quickly.
My regards to your ex-roommate.
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