Happy Mardi Gras!

 We have had a hectic couple of days, so we spent the day doing some Mardi Gras stuff, and some Getting-Ready-for-Lent stuff.

I have to admit that before meeting our close friend from New Orleans, we didn't really celebrate Mardi Gras much.

We started making King Cake for him, but I had never tasted one before.  I followed internet recipes carefully, but it always seemed like just a lightly sweet bread (with frosting and sprinkles).

Unfortunately, it was after Fr. Mark returned to New Orleans that I tasted my first actual King Cake.  I immediately knew what I was doing wrong!

I had been treating it like a bread, but it's really more like a cinnamon roll!

I swapped the bread flour for pastry flour, added filling, more eggs, and kept the dough much wetter.


Bingo!

Tender and delicate like a cross between bread and cake.

Not too sweet, but perfect with the kick of frosting.

Worth making a tradition! 

Now we enjoy it every year, never forgetting to raise a slice to Fr. Mark: Laissez les bon temps rouler!