King Cake

http://www.breadworld.com/recipes

Holiday breads

Every year, thousands flock to New Orleans for the annual Madi Gras
celebration: days filled with parties, costumes and, most importantly,
great food. If you can't make it to what some have called "the greatest
free show on Earth," you and your family can bake a slice of the fun at
home by making this traditional Mardi Gras delicacy.

Makes One Coffeecake

4-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 packages Fleischmann's RapidRise Yeast
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Powdered Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)
Colored Sugars (recipe follows)In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour,
1/4 cup sugar, salt and
undissolved yeast. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120o to
130oF). Add to dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed of
electric mixer. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour. Beat on high speed for 2
minutes. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Cover tightly
with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.

Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface. Divide into 3
equal pieces. Roll each to 28 x 4-inch rectangle. Brush melted butter
over each rectangle; sprinkle evenly with remaining 3/4 cup sugar and
ground cinnamon. Beginning at long end, roll each up tightly as for
jellyroll; pinch seams to seal to form ropes. Braid ropes; form braid
into oval. Pinch ends together to seal. Place on greased baking sheet.
Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1
hour.

Bake at 375oF for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Remove from baking
sheet; let cool on wire rack. Brush with Powdered Sugar Glaze; sprinkle
with Colored Sugars.

Powdered Sugar Glaze: In medium bowl, combine 2 cups powdered sugar,
sifted; and 2 to 3 tablespoons milk. Stir until smooth.

Colored Sugars: Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 8 drops of green food coloring
in a covered jar or resealable plastic bag. Shake vigorously to evenly
mix color with sugar. Repeat procedure with 1/2 cup sugar and yellow
food coloring. For purple, combine 8 drops blue and 16 drops red food
coloring before adding to 1/2 cup sugar.

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