Homemade Mardi Gras King's Cake from Louisiana!!

It's Time to Celebrate Mardi Gras Once Again in Louisiana!!

Ingredients:

Dough

4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup almond milk

3/4 tsp. salt

2 egg yolks

1 egg white

3 tbsp. butter

1 cup mashed potato 

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1.5 tbsp. yeast

Canola oil (enough oil so the donuts can float)

Frosting

Confectioners' sugar

water

food coloring (purple, yellow, green)

Warm milk in a pot until it reaches a temperature of 105 degrees. Add the butter and coconut sugar and stir until sugar dissolve and Set aside. Pour 4 tablespoon of warm water in a small bowl, and sprinkle the yeast and 2 teaspoons of coconut sugar into it. Allow the yeast and sugar to rest for three minutes and then mix thoroughly and rest for 10 mins. The yeast will bubble and double in volume. Combine the mashed potatoes, salt and the flour in the mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix until well combined. Separate center of mixture to form a hole and pour in the yeast and milk mixture. Add the eggs. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the yeast/milk mixture. Once its combined remove the paddle attachment and place the dough hook. Mix the mixture for about 6 to 7 minutes in the mixer. The dough should   begin to pull apart from the sides of the bowl; if not add a little more flour, slowly until it starts to pull away. It should start to form a soft elastic ball and no longer sticky.

Place dough in a large greased bowl rotating until the entire dough is covered in oil. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft-free place for about 1 hour or until dough has double in size. 

Remove dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface. Use half the dough for donuts and the other half for the king's cake. For the king's cake:: Roll dough out about 1/2 inch thick.  Cut the dough in three pieces and twist the three individual pieces into a cylinder. Braid the three pieces together and twist dough to form a curled cylinder. Pinch the ends together to complete the circle. Cover dough with towel and set it in draft-free spot for 30 minutes or until the circle of dough doubles in volume. 

Heat canola oil to 350 degrees in a large pot and fry donuts. Cover the donuts with purple, yellow and green frosting. 

Happy Mardi Gras!!

Make Fridays A Little More Special Than Normal!!

A VALENTINE’S DAY BREAKFAST!

1. Good morning Letter

2. A Follow Me trail leading to the kitchen

3. Favorite flowers awaiting

4. Sunny side up Eggs

5. Heart Shaped Greek Yogurt Pancakes

6. Freshly Squeeze Orange Juice

7. Chocolate covered strawberries

Homemade Donuts

Ingredients:

1 envelope of rapid active dry yeast

1 cup warm almond milk

2 tablespoon greek yogurt (optional)

1/3 cup coconut sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, room temperature

3 tablespoon butter

3 1/3 cup soft winter wheat flour or all-purpose flour

Vegetable Oil for frying

Vanilla Glaze:

3 tablespoon butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup almond milk

Makes: 11 to 12 donuts

In a pot over a low flame add the almond milk and coconut sugar. Once the sugar is dissolve add the butter and greek yogurt. Heat the mixture to a temperature between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a thermometer, just place a drop of it against your skin and it should be warm not hot. Don’t want it too hot because you will kill the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit. After two minutes, stir until dissolved. Let it sit for 10minutes while it bubbles and forms up.

In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. After the yeast mixture is done, pour it into a mixing bowl with the egg. Add 1/2 cup of flour at a time to the yeast mixture on low speed. Keep adding until everything is combined. Crank up the mixer to medium speed and Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic about 5 minutes. 

Turn dough out onto a clean flour surface and roll dough out about 3/8 inches thick.  Cut with a floured donut cutter or use what i used a mason jar top. Place donuts on a cookie sheet and let donuts sit out to rise in a warm place until it double in size. It takes about 30 minutes to an hour.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in vanilla, milk and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Keep mixture on low until donuts are ready to be dipped. 

Heat oil in a deep frying pan to 350 degrees. Place donuts into hot oil and fry until they are golden brown on each side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Remove glaze from flame and dip donuts into glaze while still hot and set on a wire rack. I like to double dip my donuts in the vanilla glaze, yummy. Happy Donut Eating!!!

Make Fridays A Little More Special Than Normal!!

Greek Yogurt Pancakes Topped with Orange-Honey Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 large egg (room temperature)

1 1/4 c. of greek yogurt (room temperature)

3 tbsp. melted butter
3/4 cup soft winter wheat flour or unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Separate the yolk from the white. Whisk yolk and melted butter. Whisk in the yogurt and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients. In a mixer whip the egg white until stiff peaks are formed. If your egg is not whipping up you can add some cream of tartar. 

Combine the egg yolk, butter and yogurt to the dry ingredients. Stir the ingredients until mixtures are incorporated. Fold in the whipped eggs and fold until everything is combined. Use a 1/4 measuring cup and pour pancake mixture into measuring cup and pour into a greased medium hot pan...make sure you spray the pan with olive before pouring the pancake if it is not nonstick. 

Orange-Honey Cranberry Sauce:

1 bag of cranberries

1 cup water

1/2 cup honey or to taste (more can be added)

Juice from 1 navel orange

zest from 1 navel orange, grated

Juice from half a lemon

pinch sea salt

Mix cranberries with 1 cup of water in a small pot. Cover and simmer until berries starts to burst. Add the honey, orange juice, zest, salt and lemon juice. Cook until sauce thickens. 

 

Fried Wontons with Honey Crisp Apple Filling

These little snacks are so simple, crunchy and tasty!!

All you need is Won Ton Wrappers, Chopped Apples (honey crisp is the best), Lemon Juice, Pinch of Sea Salt, and Cinnamon. In a bowl combine chopped apples, lemon juice (half of a lemon), pinch sea salt and cinnamon. This is optional but I took about 1 tbsp. of butter and melted it over medium heat.  Place the apple mixture in the pot with the butter and coated the apples with the melted butter on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Place 1 tbsp. of the filling in the center of the wonton skin and brush all the sides with water. Place another sheet on top and seal all the edges with your finger, make sure you get all the air pockets out. Heat up about one inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the wontons until they are golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. You can dust with powder sugar or leave them plain.