Fat Tuesday Recipes: Celebrate Mardi Gras!

Happy Mardi Gras! To celebrate “Fat Tuesday” — traditionally the last day to indulge in tasty treats before the fasts of Lent begin — we’ve got some amazing recipes and menu ideas.

To get the whole family in the spirit, grab some festive Mardi Gras beads at your local party store and have everyone drape some on before dinner. If you can order a colorful, festive King Cake, great — otherwise, make one (see recipe below).

Mardi Gras – Fat Tuesday Menu and Recipes:

- Crawfish Etouffee Recipe: This classic, Cajun recipe is a Mardi Gras must-have.
- Easy and Delicious Jambalaya Recipe: Rachael Ray’s simple and fabulous New Orleans classic.
- Shrimp Gumbo Recipe: From the master — Alton Brown — a delicious blend of spices, shrimp and sausage.
- Muffulettas Recipe: the Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis recipe for the tasty sandwiches.

Traditional King Cake Recipe

- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, this is lemon rind, grated
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 stick butter cut into slices and softened, plus 2 tablespoons more softened butter
- egg wash: 1 egg slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1″ plastic baby doll to hide in the cake (optional, but if you do hide it, make sure everyone is careful when eating the cake)

Directions

Pour the warm water into a small shallow bowl, and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar into it. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes then mix thoroughly. Set bowl in a warm place for ten minutes, or until yeast bubbles up and mixture almost doubles in volume. Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour, remaining sugar, nutmeg and salt, and sift into a large mixing bowl. Stir in lemon zest. Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in yeast mixture and milk. Add egg yolks and, using a wooden spoon, slowly combine dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture. When mixture is smooth, beat in 8 tablespoons butter (1 tablespoon at a time) and continue to beat 2 minutes, or until dough can be formed into a medium-soft ball.

Place ball of dough on a lightly floured surface and knead like bread. While kneading, sprinkle up to 1 cup more of flour (1 tablespoon at a time) over the dough. When dough is no longer sticky, knead 10 minutes more until shiny and elastic.

Using a pastry brush, coat the inside of a large bowl evenly with one tablespoon softened butter. Place dough ball in the bowl and rotate until the entire surface is buttered. Cover bowl with a moderately thick kitchen towel and place in a draft-free spot for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in volume. Using a pastry brush, coat a large baking sheet with one tablespoon of butter and set aside.

Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface. Using your fist, punch dough down forcefully. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, pat and shake dough into a cylinder. Twist dough to form a curled cylinder and loop cylinder onto the buttered baking sheet. Pinch the ends together to complete the circle. Cover dough with towel and set it in draft-free spot for 45 minutes, or until the circle of dough doubles in volume. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Brush top and sides of cake with egg wash and bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Place cake on wire rack to cool. Hide the plastic baby in the cake at this time — just make sure everyone knows to look out for it when eating. The person who finds the plastic baby has to make the cake next year!

Colored sugars
Green, purple, & yellow food coloring
12 tablespoons sugar

Squeeze a dot of green paste in palm of hand. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the paste and rub together quickly. Place this mixture on wax paper and wash hands to remove color. Repeat process for other 2 colors. Place aside.

Icing
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 – 6 tablespoons water

Combine sugar, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. If icing is too stiff, add more water until spreadable. Spread icing over top of cake. Immediately sprinkle the colored sugars in individual rows consisting of about 2 rows of green, purple and yellow.