Easy Recipe for Mardi Gras King Cake

Mardi Gras King Cake.

I didn't get around to making a King Cake until late in the evening of Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).  Mardi Gras is the day you can eat all you want because it will be followed by Lent where one usually gives up something they like. Alas, we didn't get around to eating any until the next day, Ash Wednesday.  I sometimes give up sweets during Lent, but find that I can't quite succeed so this year I'm just cutting back on sweets.

Here's the Easy Recipe.

RECIPE FOR EASY KING CAKE

Ingredients

Butter for greasing the pan

2 cans (8-ounce) reduced-fat crescent rolls

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Icing and Sugars:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons skim milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Colored sugars (purple, green and gold)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350F. Coat a baking sheet with butter.

2. To prepare cake, separate crescent rolls at perforations, into

16 triangular slices. Place slices around pan with points in the center. Overlap the sides of the triangles about 1/4 ". 

About halfway down from points, press seams together.

Place crescent roll triangles to form a circle.

3. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in a

mixing bowl. Using a mixer at medium speed, beat until

creamy. Spread cream cheese mixture on dough in the center

where seams have been pressed together.

Add cream cheese layer in middle of circle.

4. Combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Stir with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over cream cheese.

Fold dough points over filling, then fold base of triangles

over points forming a circular roll.

Circular roll ready for oven.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

6. To prepare icing, combine all ingredients except colored

sugars in a small bowl. Whisk until icing reaches desired

consistency, adding more powdered sugar or milk as needed.

Drizzle over cooled cake.

7. Sprinkle colored sugars in wide horizontal bands over the

iced cake.

 

Baked and decorated.

 

Notice the cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon layer in center of cake. 

This is so easy to make, and it is quite delicious. 

Our Garden Witch is Dressed for Mardi Gras

I have dressed our garden witch for Mardi Gras.  I usually have her dressed according to the season, and I think she looks ready for a Mardi Gras party.

I hope everyone has a Happy Mardi Gras Day!

Jambalaya for Mardi Gras

Jambalaya.

 I'm making Jambalaya today to serve tomorrow for Mardi Gras.  Tomorrow I'm having outpatient eye surgery, so I want to have dinner ready when I get home. This will be good warmed up.

I'm using Mark Bittman's recipe from Cooking Light. 

1 teaspoon olive oil  
1 cup chopped onion  
1/2 cup chopped celery  
1 tablespoon tomato paste (Tip:  When just a small amount of tomato paste is needed in a recipe, I use a tube rather than open a can.  A tube will keep in the fridge for up to a year.)
1 teaspoon dried basil
Dash of ground red pepper 
3 garlic cloves, minced  
1 bay leaf
2 (14.5-ounce) cans Cajun-recipe stewed tomatoes with pepper, garlic, and Cajun spices (such as Del Monte)  ( I couldn't find these, and I just used cans of diced tomatoes, but I added a teaspoon of Texas Pete to spice this up a bit).
6 ounces andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (Andouille is a spiced, heavily smoked pork sausage).
1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimento, drained 
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1/2 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 9 ingredients (onion through pimento); cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Stir in rice and shrimp; cook 6 minutes or until shrimp are done.

Cook first 9 ingredients about 7 minutes.

I use tomato paste from tube when recipe calls for small amount.

Add cooked rice and shrimp and cook until shrimp are done, about 6 minutes.

Jambalaya ready to enjoy.

Hank Williams Sr. sang this song in 1952 and it was a big hit.  It was a favorite of my Dad's, and I can remember him singing it as he was working around the house.  This is Hank Williams Jr's version.