February 1, 2018

Big Easy King’s Cake

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Big Easy King’s Cake

February: Mardi Gras Season

In our neighborhood grocery stores, king’s cakes—rosca de reyes and NOLA*-style knock-offs—have been on sale since Epiphany. Too bad they taste stale, look messy and are overpriced so we do not buy them for our celebrations.

We still like to serve something festive to our friends during Mardi Gras season. So we take the quick and “Big Easy” route by making a mock king’s cake using only a few ingredients: canned cinnamon roll dough (with the enclosed icing) and tri-colored sugars (gold represents “power”, green represents “faith” and purple represents “justice”). Everyone has fun wondering who will find the plastic baby in his or her slice of cinnamon roll cake!

Laissez les bons temps rouler! “Let the good times roll” and indulge in a simple, sugary “Big Easy” king’s cake on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) before observing the solemnity and fasts on Ash Wednesday and Lent Fridays.

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cans of cinnamon roll dough (we used Pillsbury brand flaky layers with buttercream icing)
  • sugar sprinkles (yellow/gold, green and purple)

Directions

Line a baking pan with foil and mist with cooking spray. Open the cans of cinnamon roll dough and separate the pieces. Flatten slightly. Arrange the pieces in a ring. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, according to the package instructions. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Transfer the cake to a round platter. Insert a plastic baby among the slices. Stir the icing that came in the cans. Spread it evenly over the cake.

Generously sprinkle with the colored sugars, alternating among yellow/gold, green and purple. Decorate with plastic beads (optional). Serve immediately.

Notes

  • *NOLA = New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Some people bake the plastic baby in the cake but we think it might melt and be hazardous. So we place the plastic baby in the cooled cake before frosting and decorating it and let our guests know the tradition before slicing it. The plastic baby represents Baby Jesus hiding from King Herod. Whoever finds it in their slice of cake becomes the king or queen of the day, is blessed with good luck in the coming year and must host the next Mardi Gras party or provide the king’s cake next time.
  • Rosca de reyes is the Latino version of a king’s cake. It is a round, sweet bread decorated with colorful candied fruits. Galette de rois is the French version of a king’s cake. It is also round but varies within the country’s regions and can be filled with almond cream (frangipane) or apples. Try our easy recipe for the latter here.
  • For more recipes to observe the Epiphany-Mardi Gras season, see our list under Theme Menus.

 

 

January 31, 2018

Brussels Sprouts Soup

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , |
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Brussels Sprouts Soup

January 31: Eat Brussels Sprouts Day

Highlander grew up eating Brussels sprouts and likes them. His mom cooked the baby-looking cabbage as a side dish for some of their Sunday suppers of roast beef, gravy, potatoes and Yorkshire pudding (traditional English meal). But like a lot of people, Islander did not like the taste of Brussels sprouts and passed on them during their family get-togethers. Highlander encouraged her to try making healthy Brussels sprouts in different recipes but she still did not like them…until her college roommate, Champa S., shared one for Brussels sprouts soup (Champa never liked the vegetable before either). Islander was skeptical about the recipe but she gave it a try. She actually liked it! Not only was it easy to make, it did not taste as bitter as the other recipes. Now Brussels sprouts soup is one of the ways she will eat those little leafy greens. Can we convince the skeptics, too, to try this simple soup on “Eat Brussels Sprouts Day”? It is also an appropriate dish to eat as an end to National Soup Month in January.

Recipe

(Adapted from Food.com)

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Brussels sprouts (or 1 ½ pounds)
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
  • ¼ cup cream
  • fried onions (optional garnish)

Directions

Rinse the Brussels sprouts to remove any debri. Chop the onions. In a large pot, melt the butter or heat the olive oil. Saute the onions until soft.

Mix in the Brussels sprouts. Pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the sprouts are tender. Puree in batches in a blender.

Transfer the puree back to the pot. Stir in the cream and heat through. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with fried onions. Serve hot.

Notes

  • Find fried onions in the salad section of the grocery store.
  • Search our blog for other soup recipes.
 

January 30, 2018

Chocolate Croissants (Pain au Chocolat)

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , , |
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Chocolate Croissants

(Pain au Chocolat)

 chocolatecroissants

January 30: National Croissant Day

Chocoholics like us will enjoy indulging in a chocolate-filled croissant for breakfast, brunch or snack time with a cup of tea or coffee. This recipe is so easy yet impresses our houseguests when they drop by for a friendly visit. Store-bought puff pastry is the key ingredient to creating the flaky-crisp layers. The chocolate croissant may be dusted with confectioner’s sugar but we drizzled ours with extra chocolate for a fancy finish. For National Croissant Day, prepare pain au chocolat with puff pastry.

 Recipe

(Adapted from Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry)

Ingredients

  • 1 package puff pastry sheets (we used Pepperidge Farm brand)
  • chocolate pieces (like Ghirardelli Squares or Baker’s brand chocolate bar)
  • 1 egg + 1 teaspoon water, beaten together to make an egg wash
  • extra chocolate for drizzling (optional)

Directions

Thaw the puff pastry according to the directions on the package. Unroll one sheet. Cut along the fold and then across the sheet to create six squares. Place chocolates in the center.

chocolatecroissantssteps1

Fold the flaps of the square. Press to seal the edges all around. Place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with egg wash.

chocolatecroissantssteps2

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let the chocolate croissants cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Melt some chocolate and drizzle over the pastries. Serve warm while the chocolate can still ooze out and is not solidified inside. Yield: 1 dozen.

chocolatecroissantssteps3

Notes

  • Handle puff pastry minimally so it does not stretch out too much. It should be kept cold as possible after thawing to ensure a good rise in the oven.
  • It is best to reheat puff pastry products in the oven instead of a microwave to maintain its flaky-crisp texture.
  • Use good quality chocolate, like Baker’s semi-sweet baking bar.
  • This recipe is prepared in a rectangular roll instead of the crescent shape that gives the croissant its French name.

 

 

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