Mardi Gras
by Artemis
You know what pops up into my mind when I think of February? It's the one and only - Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras is actually French for "Fat Tuesday" (nice name, huh?
) and so something really important for Mardi Gras is food! During Mardi Gras, people also dress up in costumes, wear masks and take part in parades
One type of food not to be missed is the Mardi Gras King Cake, and I'm going to show y'all how to make it right here!
Ingredients:
PASTRY:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter
FROSTING:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water
Directions:
1) Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2) When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3) Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
4) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
5) To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
6) Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.
7) Ta da! All finished and ready to be served!
Of course apart from the food, you also have to remember the costumes. Here are a few pictures for you to see:
While some costumes (to me) are quite frightening, there's no doubt that dressing up for Mardi Gras focuses on flair and flamboyant colours.
Last but (definitely) not the least, it's the Mardi Gras carnival! Let's talk about the carnival in Rio de Janeiro...
It's true that there are Mardi Gras carnivals all acoss the world, but Rio is for sure the carnival capitol in the world. One of the greatest elements of Rio Carnival is that it not only provides entertainment for many people around the world but it also gives a chance to learn about the true culture of Brazil. Carnival is very important to the Brazilians, it sums up their way of thinking and way of life. It is a euphoric event where people dance, sing, party and have an overdose of fun. There are many parties that take place before, during and after Carnival all night and all day. It allows someone's true heart to come out and have as much fun as possible.
Well, that's all for this month, and I'll see you all Slytherins next month!
Yours always,
Artemis