Mardi Gras Party Supplies are just what you need to laissez les bons temps rouler… let the good times roll! The celebrations in New Orleans started on January 6, with the Feast of Epiphany and continue until midnight on Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras can fall on any Tuesday from February 3rd to March 9th. Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, and is always 47 days before Easter. This year, Fat Tuesday is March 8th.
Although it has evolved over centuries, the spirit of Mardi Gras as a feast before the fasting remains unchanged. The grandeur of the parades, costumes, masks and krewes has grown to the modern day celebration we are familiar with and is definitely a feast for the senses. The media portrayal of Mardi Gras as a drunken hedonistic party is far from the truth and there are plenty of family friendly parades, usually scheduled during daylight hours away from the French Quarter.
King cakes are another less known tradition of the Mardi Gras season. They first appeared after 1872, when the Rex Krewe selected the Mardi Gras colors (purple, green and gold). Traditionally it is a coffee cake that is oval and braided. It is covered with a poured glaze icing and covered with purple, green and gold sugar. Each cake has a small plastic baby hidden inside and custom tells that whoever finds it is crowned King or Queen for the day and is responsible to either buy the next King cake or throw the next party.
KING CAKE RECIPE
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 grated nutmeg
- 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
GLAZE:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
ADDITIONAL:
- small plastic baby
- purple, green and gold sugars
- 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 about 10 minutes.
- 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.
- 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 size, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
- To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, flour, chopped pecans and raisins. Pour melted butter over the filling ingredients and mix until crumbly.
- Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10×16 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.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the baby into the bottom of the cake. Mix the pwdered sugar and milk to make the glaze. Pour it evenly onto the warm cake and sprinkle with purple, green and gold sugars.
You don’t have to travel to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras in style… you’ll find all the Mardi Gras Party Supplies you’ll need here. No need for your guests to scream and fight crowds for Mardi Gras beads, you can send them home in a festive mask and laden with a variety of Mardi Gras beaded necklaces.
