King cake: A Mardi Gras treat to beat the blahs

Published 11:00 am Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Well, blah. Blah, blah, blah. Blah.

We just hit the skids, because there’s a huge gap now between Valentine’s Day, plus (sob and whine) the last three-day weekend for just about forever, and the next look-forward-to happening isn’t until the middle of March, when we finally come to St. Patrick’s Day.

Ah, but wait. We could always take a shot at sort of an abbreviated, let’s say sort-of homespun, Puget Sound version of Mardi Gras.

And really, why not? Some similarities, after all, between here in Puget Sound country and there in New Orleans do abound: Lake Washington here, Lake Pontchartain there, not to leave out the many, many other incomparable lakes around here. And all that wonderful bayou country there.

Then, too, we have the incomparable, one-of-a-kind Pike Place Market, while they have the don’t-miss-it French Market. They have beignets, but so do we. From their kitchens or from the Cafe du Monde, from our kitchens or a gotta-go-there place in northern Skagit County, beignets are a definite we’ve-gottem thing.

So right now, and so then, if Louisiana has a long history of Mardi-Gras fab food, fun happenings and tradition, let’s cash in on it.

In addition to the glamorous balls and parades, the helter-skelter strewing-about of Carnival beads, gathered up by brave, jump-for-them street-side parade goers, a long tradition of those “let the good times roll” has always, always and forever, included something called king cakes.

So a king cake it is for us today, complete with the frills but none of the fuss, since the following recipe has been slimmed down from a genuine from-scratch recipe to a fast-start (not to mention reduced-fat) approach to the project. The use of refrigerated rolls is not only a time-saving, give-the-cook-a break option, it comes complete with an added plus, a super-duper kid helper-outer project.

Just because it’s a pared-down, easy-do, faster-than-the-original, take on king cake, we shouldn’t necessarily think it doesn’t stick to the time-honored original and traditional (sort of) version.

King cakes are not just a breadlike dough enhanced with a smidgin of cinnamon, they are a circle-shaped creation, iced with the colors of Mardi Gras — purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power. A plastic baby, representing the Christ child, is hidden inside. Whoever gets the baby, according to legend and tradition, has to provide the next king cake.

Thanks to Holly Clegg (cookbook author of “trim&Terrific Gulf Coast Favorites”, here’s the complete speeded-up, minus the baby part, how-to for:

King cake with cream cheese cinnamon filling

2cans (8 ounces each) reduced-fat refrigerated crescent rolls

4ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

2tablespoons powdered sugar

1teaspoon vanilla extract

2tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1tablespoon ground cinnamon

Mardi Gras icing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-inch round pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Separate crescent rolls at perforations, into 16 pieces. Place pieces around prepared pan with point in the center. About halfway down from the points, press seams together.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy. Spread on dough in the center where seams have been pressed together.

In another small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over cream cheese. Fold dough points over filling, then fold bottom of triangle over points forming a circular roll. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and drizzle with the colored Mardi Gras frosting.

Makes one king cake.

Mardi Gras frosting

1cup powdered sugar

1-2tablespoons skim milk

1/2teaspoon vanilla extract

Yellow, green, red and blue food coloring

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, except food coloring. Divide mixture into three bowls. In the first bowl, add a few drops of yellow food coloring. In a second bowl, add a few drops of green food coloring. In a third bowl, add equal amounts of drops of red and blue food coloring to create a purple coloring. Drizzle colorings over baked cake.

RSVP: The Forum knows that there are many, many Forum cooks with a Southern background out there, and no doubt some of you are from the New Orleans area, or have some input on Mardi Gras foods and the king cake subject.

If you are one of those cooks and have a different or more traditional take on king cake or other related Mardi Gras eats, we’d love to hear from you. Please write to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206, or kruse@heraldnet.com. Include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code.

The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.