Happy Mardis Gras

To celebrate Mardis Gras, I decided to share a recipe for king cake that was given to me. I have altered this recipe to have a Cream Cheese Filling, but it is also possible to have the standard cinnoman and butter filling. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

Dough:

1/4 cup Butter
1 16 oz. carton Sour cream
1/3 cup Sugar

1 teasp Salt
2 pkg Yeast
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Warm water
2 Eggs
6: 1/2 cups Plain flour

Traditional Filling:
1 cup Granulated sugar
4 teasp Cinnamon
2 teasp Flour
1/2 cup Butter

Cream Cheese Filling:

2 - 8oz. cream cheese

2 C. Powdered Sugar

4 T. Flour

2 t. Vanilla Extract

Few drops of milk

2 Token plastic babies

Frosting:

3 cups Powdered sugar
3 tbsp Butter, melted
3 to 5 tbsp Milk
Colored suger for garnish

Instructions:

• Mix first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until butter melts. Let mixture cool.
• Dissolve yeast and 1 T. sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
• Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat 2 minutes.
• Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
• Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise 1 hour.
• Traditional Filling: combine sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Set aside with butter.
  
• Cream Cheese Filling: combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla extract and milk, set aside.
• When dough has risen one hour, punch dough down, and divide in half.
• Turn one portion of dough out onto a floured surface, and roll out to a 28 by 10 inch rectangle. Repeat with remaining dough portion.
• Spread filling over each rectangle.
• Roll up each rectangle jellyroll fashion, starting at short side.
• Place a token plastic baby inside each roll.
• Gently place each roll of dough seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.
• Bring ends of each roll together to form an oval ring of each roll.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk.
• Bake at 375 F 15 to 20 minutes.
• To prepare frosting, mix powdered sugar, butter and milk.
• Decorate each cake with frosting; sprinkle with colored sugars.

(Makes 2 King Cakes) *Do not eat plastic baby!