King Cake Recipe for 3 Kings Day

KING CAKE

Dough:
5-6 cups all purpose flour
2 packages of yeast
2/3 cup warm water (105-115 F)
1 cup warm milk (105-115 F)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
cooking oil

Filling and Glaze:
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Scald milk, remove from heat and put butter in milk to soften and cool. Sprinkle yeast over warm water to which a tablespoon of sugar has been added. Rinse a large mixing bowl under very warm water and dry. When yeast mixture is bubbling, pour into large bowl and add milk testing that it has cooled and is slightly warm to skin of the arm. Add 2 eggs and whisk until frothy. Add one or two cups of flour [strange directions] , sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat well until all ingredients are blended and elastic. Add another cup of flour and beat. When mixture becomes thick and leaves the side of the bowl, turn out onto floured board or counter top. Knead dough and remaining flour spinkling onto surface used for kneading. Knead until smooth - approximately 10 minutes. Grease another large bowl with cooking oil. Put dough into bowl then turn over dough so oiled surface is up. Cover with damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Place in warm place until double in size -- about 1 to 2 hours.

When risen, punch down, divide dough in half or into fourths. Roll dough into rectangles. Sprinkle rectangles with fillling. Roll up like jelly roll beginning at wide side. Seal ends well. Form into ovals on greased 4 x 9 inch cake pans or two large cookie sheets. With scissors, make cuts 1/3 of the way through the ring at 1 inch intervals. Let rise. Bake 30 minutes at 375 F.

Frost while warm with 1 cup confectioners' sugar blended with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. For filling, mix all dry ingredients except confectioners' sugar. Pour melted butter over this and mix until crumbly. Decorate with sugar dyed (with food coloring) purple, green, and gold or just decorate cakes with pecans and cherries.

A plastic doll or three dried beans may be put into the filling before rolling up or they may be pushed into dough from the bottom after baking. The person getting the doll has the next King Cake party [and the same doll] or the children getting the three beans are the Three Wise Men.