MERINGUE COFFEE CAKE - THE DARING BAKERS

Where have the last weeks gone? Is it possible that April is knocking on our door and that spring has already arrived?! The end of the month is nearing again, yet it feels as if I baked my last Daring Bakers challenge yesterday and not four weeks ago. I have the impression that I'm perpetuously running after time and can never fully take pleasure in what I'm doing because I can't even enjoy the present moment to the fullest and constantly have to project myself in the future...

Anyway, when I discovered the new DB recipe and found out that two of my favorite foodblogger friends had chosen it I was really thrilled and was looking forward to getting my robust Kitchen Aid working as it sounded very promising! The March 2011 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Ria of "Ria’s Collection" and Jamie of "Life’s a Feast" who challenged us to bake a yeasted "Meringue Coffee Cake".

Being somebody with a strong penchant for pastries and anything bready, yeast risen coffee cakes represent the summum of pâtisserie bliss for me. I cannot resist such wonderful treats as they are extremely addictive and dreamlike. As a matter of fact, once I start eating one of those baked goodies you can be sure that I'll finish it in a flash and will not leave it to dry on the countertop (a blasphemy). If you want to make me happy, then consider baking or offering me a yummy rich bread (Panettone, Kougelhopf, Danish Pastries, Stollen, etc...). That'll immediately bring a smile to my lips and improve my mood. There is something so perfect, soothing and comforting about those soul-uplifting bakery items...

Well, speaking of droolworthy delicacies, I must make a confession regarding that subject. Those of you who have been following my blog Rosa's Yummy Yums since a while might be aware that I am an atypical and unique individual who separates herself from the flock, likes being different from the others, loathes what is mainstream, so-called trendy and boringly conventional. In this way, some of my wildest dreams are a far cry from other people's dreams. Mine are mostly food-oriented and say a lot about my enthusiasm for the culinary world as well as my attachment to all things gourmet.

My fantasies are extravagant and rarely transposable into the real world. They are like scenes out of one of Roald Dahl's burlesque, trippy, strange and delirious children's books. For example, I love to imagine that I am in one of the most fantastic, immense and amazing bakeries that can possibly exist, and a bit like the little boy Charlie Bucket in "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" (minus the eccentric Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas) I am free to wander alone around the laboratory as well as the store and gobble anything I fancy. This not being reality, I would have the capacity to swallow as many creamy entremets, flaky croissants, warm pains au chocolat, melt-in-the-mouth Danish pastries, deliciously savory canapés, flavorful pork pate, luxurious ham croissants, heavenly éclairs, fruitilicious tartlets, comforting pies, exquisite cakes, fragrant breads, toothsome candies and exquisite chocolates as I wish. The ultimate orgy! Just thinking about it makes me drool incontrolably and puts me in a state of trance.

You might think that I've gone totally bonkers and lost my mind, but while some of you wish to own a luxury car, to possess jewels worth a fortune, to be a star in Holywood or to buy designer clothes (like any other woman I love clothes and jewels, but I could never spend a fortune on them) I prefer to daydream about having the opportunity to go on a quest for rare, gourmet and quality ingredients or be lucky enough to taste the most gorgeous dishes and gastronomic creations that this world has to offer.

As you can see I am incredibly passionate about food. Nothing can make me quite as cheerfuly as when I am in my matchbox-sized kitchen buzzing around like a high-spirited bee frolicking effortlessly from one flower to another as if it were a graceful ballarina dancing with incredible lightness and buoyancy. It is a pastime that I cherish as it keeps me sane and balanced...

Bread baking is a particularly healthy activity that can be compared to meditation or yoga. A certain dose of effort has to be put into the task, but method and concentration are also required. Dough needs love, care and attention in order to give good results. If you don't put your heart into the job, there is a big chance that you'll get a mediocre loaf. But, on the contrary, if you are having a blast then the final product will be perfect as it is quite impossible that things will go wrong.

Eventhough life left me a few psychological scars (death of my English grandmother and of my much cherished cat Fridolin, family harrassment, etc...) lately, I still love preparing delectable chows for my friends, boyfriend and myself as this enterprise relieves the tension, makes me feel good and has a positive effect on my soul.

So, although I am still mourning the passing of my granny and kitty, the prospect of putting together a "Meringue Coffee Cake" filled me with joy. I needed to savagely knead some dough in order to evacuated the sadness, stress, anger and frustration that I have been accumulating since the beginning of this year.

This challenge was ideal for take a break from my worries/sorrows as the fabrication of this sweet bread posed no problem and the whole process went smoothly. I got the job done in a relaxed and calm manner. No hysterical effusions of a distempered brain were to be noticed and I didn't even pronounce the word "bloody hell" once (something very rare).

The recipe was followed to the letter, but as we were permitted to operate a few changes flavor-wise I decided to incorporate some ground tonka bean (not legal in the US) to the dough and to add orange zest to the filling. I also refrigerated my dough overnight and used more cinnamon than instructed.

Oh, what a divine and exhalirating smell filled the apartment while my "Meringue Coffee Cake" was in the oven! Waiting for it to get fully baked and cooled was a real torture. I craved this beautiful, fluffy, moist, spicy, buttery and nutty brioche so much that I started pacing up and down my place like an agitated tiger in a cage. I felt as desperate as a dog having to sit quietly and watch his master having lunch. Terrible.

Thankfully, the evening came soon enough and I was finally able to sample that droolworthy coffee cake. Biting into this soft, sweet and scrumptious slice of heaven I reached total zenitude and peace of mind...

This post was submitted to Yeastspotting.

~ Meringue Coffee Cake ~

Makes 2 round coffee cakes, each approximately 10 inches in diameter.

Preparation time:
10 - 15 minutes preparation of the dough
8 – 10 minutes kneading
45 – 60 minutes first rise
10 – 15 minutes to prepare meringue, roll out, fill and shape dough
An additional 45 – 60 minutes for second rising
Baking time:
Approximately 30 minutes

Equipment required:
Measuring cups for dry ingredients
Measuring cup for liquid
Measuring spoons
Cutting board and sharp knife for chopping nuts & chocolate if using
2 large mixing bowls
1 small mixing bowl
1 medium mixing bowl for beating egg whites, preferably plastic or metal
1 medium saucepan
Electric mixer or stand mixer
Wooden spoon
Rolling pin
Spatula
Clean kitchen scissors or sharp knife
Plastic wrap & clean kitchen towel
Parchment paper
2 medium-sized baking trays (or 1 large if your oven is large enough)
Cooling racks
Serving platter
Vegetable oil to grease bowl

Ingredients "For The "Yeast Coffeecake Dough":
4 Cups (600g/1.5 lbs.) Plain flour
1/4 Cup (55g/2 oz.) Grannulated sugar
3/4 Tsp (5g/¼ oz.) salt
1/4 Tsp Ground tonka bean
1 Package (2 ¼ Tsp/7g/less than an ounce) Active dried yeast
3/4 Cup (180ml/6 fl.oz.) Whole milk
1/4 Cup (60ml/2 fl. oz.) Water
1/2 Cup (135g/4.75 oz.) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 Large eggs, at room temperature
Ingredients For The "Filling":
1 Cup (110g/4 oz.) Chopped pecans
2 Tbs (30g/1 oz.) Light brown sugar
2 Tsp Ground cinnamon
Zest of one orange
1 Cup (170g/6 oz.) Semisweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate
Ingredients "For The Meringue":
3 Large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 Tsp Fine sea salt
1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/2 Cup (110g/4 oz.) Grannulated sugar
Ingredients For The "Egg Wash":
1 Egg, beaten
Pearl sugar for sprinkling

Method "For The "Yeast Coffeecake Dough":
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ½ cups (230g) of the flour, the sugar, salt, tonka and yeast.
2. In a saucepan, combine the milk, water and butter and heat over medium heat until warm and the butter is just melted.
3. With an electric mixe r o n low speed, gradually add the warm liquid to the flour/yeast mixture, beating until well blended. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes.
4. Add the eggs and 1 cup (150g) flour and beat for 2 more minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that holds together.
5. Turn out onto a floured surface (use any of the 1 ½ cups of flour remaining) and knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, sexy and elastic, keeping the work surface floured and adding extra flour as needed.
6. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until double in bulk, 45 – 60 minutes ( the rising time will depend on the type of yeast you use).
Method For The "Filling":
7. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, sugar, zest, chocolate chips and nuts for the filling.
Method For The "Meringue":
8. Once the dough has doubled, make the meringue. In a clean mixing bowl (ideally a plastic or metal bowl so the egg whites adhere to the side - they slip on glass - and you don’t end up with liquid remaining in the bottom) beat the egg whites with the salt, first on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high and continue beating until foamy and opaque.
9. Add the vanilla then start adding the ½ cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time as you beat, until very stiff, glossy peaks form.
Method For "Assemling The Coffeecakes":
10. Line 2 baking/cookie sheets with parchment paper.
11. Punch down the dough and divide in half.
12. On a lightly floured surface, working one piece of the dough at a time (keep the other half of the dough wrapped in plastic), roll out the dough into a 51 x 25.5cm (20 x 10-inch) rectangle. 13. Spread half of the meringue evenly over the rectangle up to about 3/4cm (1/2-inch) from the edges.
14. Sprinkle half of your filling evenly over the meringue.
15. Now, roll up the dough jellyroll style, from the long side.
16. Pinch the seam closed to seal.
17. Very carefully transfer the filled log to one of the lined cookie sheets, seam side down.

18. Bring the ends of the log around and seal the ends together, forming a ring, tucking one end into the other and pinching to seal.
19. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife (scissors are easier), make cuts along the outside edge at 2.5cm (6.3 inch) intervals (make them as shallow or as deep as desired but don’t be afraid to cut deep into the ring). Repeat with the remaining dough, meringue and fillings.
20. Cover the 2 coffee cakes with plastic wrap or a humid towel and allow them to rise again for 45 to 60 minutes.
21. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
22. Brush the tops of the coffee cakes with the egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
23. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden brown (the dough should sound hollow when tapped).
24. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the cookie sheets onto the table. Very gently loosen the coffee cakes from the paper with a large spatula and carefully slide the cakes off onto cooling racks.
25. Allow to cool completely.

Remarks:
These are best eaten fresh, the same day or the next day.

Serving suggestions:
Just before serving, dust the tops of the coffee cakes with confectioner’s sugar as well as cocoa powder if using chocolate in the filling (if not using pearl sugar).
Eat for breakfast or afternoon tea.

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Etant donné que je suis en vacance et que je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps pour bloguer, je n'ai malheureusement pas pu faire une traduction française de ce billet et je m'en excuse auprès de tous mes amis lecteurs et blogueurs francophones!

C'est pourquoi je vous suggère de vous rendre sur le blog mentionné ci-dessous. Vous y trouverez cette recette en version française.

Chez Isa de "Les Gourmandises d'Isa" (Canada)

GINGERED CARROT CAKE COOKIES

Lately, I have been craving carrot-based treats and obssessed by carrot cake. I really love the unique flavor and extra moistness that this veggie confers to baked goodies. Most of the time the grated carrots are paired with spices when they are incorporated in cookie doughs or cake batters, and that is something I cannot resist...

Since I fancied to make some cookies, but had no wish for us (my boyfriend and I) to gobble the whole lot (18 pieces) like famished glouttons in front of TV while watching a Scandinavian movie (Norwegian or Swedish), I profited on the occasion that I was going to meet my friend Corinne the next day in order to offer her the half of the batch of cookies I had baked. I know that I cannot resist temptation and absolutely have no wish of getting larger hips, so that was the best thing to do. Besides, I always like to bring yummy gifts when I visit people.

Carrot cakes are very popular around the world and many variations exist (in Switzerland we even have our own version - Aargauer Rüblitorte) and it seems that carrot cookies are eaten with as much eagerness. This time, instead of roaming the net, I found what I was looking for in Dorie Greesnpan's "Baking: From My Home to Yours". This book is my "bible". I have already baked so many treats from it and they were all very successful, but had never tried Dorie's "Gingered Carrot Cake Cookies".

For once and contrarily to my habits, I decided to not alter much this recipe as it is already so perfect and contains so many different ingredients that it is difficult to add anything or make them any better. I did nonetheless operate a few minor changes - nothing revolutionary though. As I love a pronounced saltiness in my pastries I added some extra salt to the cookies - it really enhances their flavor, then I also I did the same with the gound ginger (I am a spice freak after all) and for the purpose of photography, I decorated my cookies with a little icing to make them look prettier and more photogenic.

Those easy to put together scone-like "Gingered Carrot Cake Cookies" are extremely pleasant with their delightful cakey soft and moist texture, perfectly crisp crust, delicate carrotty aromas, soul-uplifting richness and divine spiciness. They would grace perfectly the breakfast table and would taste haevenly when accompanied by a tall glass of ice cold milk. Highly addictive stuff!

~ Gingered Carrot Cake Cookies ~
Recipe adapted from "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan.

Yields 18 cookies.

Ingredients:
2 Cups All-purpose flour
1 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Sea salt (fine)
1 1/3 Tsp Ground ginger
1 Pinch Grated nutmeg
3/4 Cup (180g) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 Cup Granulated sugar
1/3 Cup Light brown sugar
1 Egg (~63g)
1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Cup Shredded carrots (about 2-3, peeled and trimmed)
1 Cup Sweetened shredded coconut
1 Cup Raisins (dark or light)
1/2 Cup Coarsely chopped pecans (roasted)

Method:
1. Position the oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 170° C (375° F). Line two baking sheets with baking paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside. 3. With a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then add th e egg and beat for another minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the vanilla.
4. Lower the speed, add the flour mixture in 2 or 3 batches and beat only until they just disappear into the mix (the dough will be very thick, but don’t overbeat to incorporate the flour).

5. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the carrots, coconut, raisins and pecans.
6. Spoon about 1 tablespoonful of dough (or use a large cookie scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between them. Using your fingers, every so slightly flatted the tops of the cookies.
7. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point (the cookies should be light brown and only just firm on top).
8. Delicately transfer the cookies to racks and cool to room temperature.

Remarks:
Feel free to replace the pecans by any other roasted nut of your choice. You can also use cranberries instead of raisins and ground cinnamon instead of ground ginger.
For more fun I have iced my cookies with plain icing.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Serving suggestions:
Eat those cookies with a glass of ice cold milk or a good cup of tea or coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Cookies Mous Au Gingembre Et A La Carotte ~
Recette adaptée de "Baking: From My Home to Yours" par Dorie Greenspan.

Pour 18 cookies.

Ingrédients:
255g de Farine blanche
1 CC de Poudre à lever
1 CC de Sel de marin fin
1 1/3 de CC de Gingembre en poudre
1 Pincée de Muscade en poudre
180g de Beurre non-salé, à temperature ambiante
140g de Sucre cristallisé
80g de Sucre brun clair
1 Oeuf (~63g)
1/2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1 Cup de Carottes rapées finement (~ 2-3, pelées et nettoyées)
90g de Noix de coco rapée et sucrée (épicerie US)
158g de Raisins secs (sombres ou clairs)
57g de Noix de pécan hachées grossièrement (torréfiées)

Méthode:
1. Positionner 2 grilles dans la partie centrale supérieure et inférieure du four et le préchauffer à 170° C. Recouvrir deux plaques avec du papier sulfurisé.
2. Dans un bol moyen, mélanger ensemble la farine, la poudre à lever, le sel, le gingembre et la muscade. Mettre de côté.
3. A l'aide d'un robot ou d'un batteur à main, battre le beurre à vitesse moyenne afin qu'il soit crémeux. Ajouter les sucres et battre en pommade pendant 2 minutes supplémentaires (le mélange doit être mousseux et pâle). Ajouter l'oeuf et battre encore une minute, puis incorporer la vanille à vitesse moindre.

4. Toujours à vitesse basse, ajouter le mélange farine/épices en 2 ou 3 fois et battre seulement jusqu'à ce qu'il soit juste incorporé (la pâte sera épaisse, mais il ne faut pas trop la battre).
5. En utilisant une spatule en caoutchouc, incorporer les carottes, la noix de coco, les raisins et les noix de pécan.
6. Faire des tas à l'aide d'une cuillère à soupe ou à glace, en laissant un espace de 2.5cm entre chaque tas. Applatir légèrement le dessus de chaque cookies avec les doigts.
7. Cuire pendant 16 to 18 minutes, en changeant les plaques de place (alterner - les cookies doivent être légèrement dorés).
8. Transférer les cookies sur une grille et les faire refroidir complètement.

Remarques:
Les noix de pécan peuvent être remplacées par n'importe quelle noix torréfiée de votre choix, les raisins par des cranberries et le gingembre par de la cannelle en poudre.
Il est possible de décorer les cookies avec du sucre glace.
Conserver les cookies dans une boite hermétique, à température ambiante.

Idées de présentation:
Accompagner ces cookies d'un bon verre de lait très froid, d'un café ou d'une tasse de thé.

MARDI GRAS KING CAKE - GÂTEAU DU ROI

I first got introduced to New Orleans when I started reading Anne Rice's novels on the Mayfair Witches. I remember how much I loved the context in which the story was told and how much magnificent NOLA was so poetically depicted...

The scent of the place, it's incomparable atmosphere entwined with a long as well as tragic history of slavery and French bourgeoisie, it's fascinating old houses as well as it's musical background and vibrantly exotic exhuberance are all so well described in the writings of Anne Rice. For all those reasons, for me, New Orleans is synonymous with mystery, eery religious practices, good food, romantism as well as cheerfulness. It is a destination that makes me fanticize.

"The doctor had never been inside an antebellum mansion until that spring in New Orleans. And the old house really did have white fluted columns on the front...Greek Revival style they call it -- a long violet-gray town house on a dark shady corner in the Garden District, it's front gate guarded it seemed by two enormous oaks.

The iron lace railings were made in a rose pattern and much festooned with vines; purple wisteria, the yellow Virginia creeper and bougainvillea of a dark, incandescent pink....Always he paused at the largest tree that had lifted the iron fence with its bulbous roots. He could not have gotten his arms around the trunk of it. It reached all the way from the pavement to the house itself, twisted limbs clawing at the shuttered windows beyond the banisters, leaves enmeshed with the flowering vines."

- Excerpt from "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice (p. 5) -

I also remember that, while reading the Mayfair Witches chronicles, her tales about Mardi Gras transported me entirely . It is no wonder if, when flipping through my Culinaria "The United Staes: a Culinary Discovery" cookbook, my attention was drawn towards that buoyantly colored brioche bread that is only made during the period which follows Three Kings Day or the Epiphany (6th of January) and ends with Mardi Gras Day or Fat Tuesday (around the middle of February).

This treat comes in various styles (simple ring, three-braided ring, four-braided ring, etc...) and with many different fillings (cream cheese, praline, apple, raspberry & cream cheese, chocolate, pecan, etc...). While the common "King Cake" is baked in an oven, the Cajun version is deep-fried just like a doughnut would be. "King Cakes" are always topped with sugar granules in the official Carnival colors of purple (passion of Christ), green (hope) and gold (rewards of leading a Christian life). A small plastic baby is hidden inside and it has become customary in the New Orleans culture that whoever finds the trinket must provide the next "King Cake".

After never really getting round to making a "King Cake", this year, I finally decided to overcome my ungrounded fears and baked that Louisiana-style delicacy with much success. Needless to say that although it took me two days to make, it disappeared in an even shorter lapse of time!

This New Orleans sinfully sweet carnival treat is so marvelous and festive that you can't get your hands off it! There is nothing better than a fresh slice of fragrantly yeasty brioche bread which's ooey gooey heart releases the most delightful flavors of cinnamon, roasted pecans, whiskey and is is covered with a crispy, yet melty layer of icing. Irresistible!

For those who are interested in learning a little more about the history and traditions of Mardi Gras "King Cake", I invite you to check out the following links: King Cake - A Rich Tradition, History Of the King Cake & Mardi Gras King Cakes.

In Switzerland, the Catholic cantons also celebrate the carnival. The following videos and article might give you an insight: Saveur Magazine - Basel Carnival, The Morgenstreich - Basel Carnival, The Lights Go Out - Basel Carnival & The Tschäggättä - In Lötschental, Wallis (see my article on the subject).

This post is also for YeastSpotting.

~ Mardi Gras King Cake ~
Recipe taken from Food Network and slightly adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Makes 1 King Cake.

Ingredients for the "Cake":
1/3 Cup Milk
1 Package active dry yeast
2 1/2 Cups Bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 Large egg yolks
2 Large eggs
3 Tbs Granulated sugar Finely grated zest of
1 organic lemon
1 Tsp Sea salt
1/2 Tsp Freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 Sticks (180g) Unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the bowl
Ingredients for the "Filling":
1/2 Cup Golden raisins
1/4 Cup Bourbon
3/4 Cup Packed light brown sugar
2/3 Cup Toasted pecans, chopped
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
2 Tsp Grated orange zest (organic)
1/4 Tsp Sea salt
1 Dry bean or plastic King Cake baby
Ingredients for the "Glaze":
1 Cup Confectioners' sugar
Purple, green and gold sanding sugar, for decorating

Method for the "Cake":
1. Heat the milk in a saucepan until scalding; transfer to a food processor, add the yeast and pulse to combine.
2. Add 1/2 cup flour and the egg yolks; process to combine. Pour the remaining 2 cups flour evenly over the yeast mixture; do not process. Put the lid on; set aside for 90 minutes.
3. Add the 2 whole eggs, granulated sugar, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg to the food processor; process to make a slightly textured dough, about 1 minute.
4. With the machine running, slowly add the butter to make a smooth, sticky dough. once the butter has been incorporate, stop mixing.
5. Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place for 3 hours.
6. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead briefly; form into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Method for the "Filling":
1. Plump the raisins in the bourbon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the brown sugar, pecans, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, salt and the bean or plastic baby; mix until combined and set aside.
2. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 20-by-7-inch rectangle, with the long edge facing you. Spoon the filling in an even layer over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the top and bottom. Fold the bottom and then the top edge over the filling to make a tight roll; pinch to seal.
3. Transfer the roll seam-side down to a parchment-lined baking sheet; tuck one end into the other to form a ring
4. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the roll doubles in size, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cake until firm and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Method for the "Glaze":
1. Mix 6 tablespoons water with the confectioners' sugar; brush 2/3 of the glaze over the cake.
2. Sprinkle with bands of colored sugar; drizzle with more glaze.

Remarks:
Instead of preparing a cake that is made with a single roll, I made three little rolls and braided them before my cake into a crown (see video).

Serving suggestions:
This cake is to be enjoyed without moderation, at any time of the day or night.
It is better to eat your "King Cake" quite rapidly (I guess that'll not be a problem as it might very well not make it to the next day LOL), otherwise it might dry up and loose it's moisture.

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~ Gâteau Du Roi ~
Recette prise sur le site Food Network et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums 2010.

Pour 1 brioche.

Ingrédients pour la "Brioche":
80ml de Lait
1 Paquet (7g) de levure en poudre
350g de Farine à pain et plus pour saupoudrer le plan de travail
2 Gros jaunes d'oeufs
2 Gros oeufs entiers
3 CS de Sucre cristallisé
Le zeste d'un citron bio
1 CC de Sel de mer
1/2 CC de Noix de muscade fraîchement râpée
180g de Beurre non-salé, battu en pommade et plus pour beurrer le bol
Ingrédients pour la "Garniture":
80g de Raisins blonds
60ml de Whisky
180g de Sucre brun (bien tassée)
80g de Noix de pécan torréfiées et hachées grossièrement
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1 CC de Cannelle en poudre
2 CC de Zeste d'orange bio
1/4 de CC de Sel de mer
1 Fève (en forme de bébé si possible)
Ingrédients pour le "Glaçage":
120g de Sucre en poudre
Des paillettes en sucre de couleur violette, verte et jaune

Méthode pour la "Brioche":
1. Chauffer le lait dans une casserole afin qu'il soit à température du corps (pas plus). Le mettre dans le bol du mixer et ajouter la levure, puis bien mélanger.
2. Ajouter 70g de farine et les jaunes d'oeufs. Mélanger à l'aide de la spatule mélangeuse du mixer. Bien répartir sur le dessus le reste de la farine. Ne pas mélanger. Couvrir et laisser reposer pendant 90 minutes.
3. Ajouter les 2 oeufs entiers, le sucre cristallisé, le zeste de citron, le sel et la muscade. Mixer avec le crochet à pain pendant 1 minute.
4. Tout en continuant de pétrir la pâte, ajouter le beurre afin d'obtenir une pâte collante et lisse. Pétrir juste assez afin que le beurre soit incorporé.
5. Mettre la pâte dans un grand bol beurré et recouvrir avec du film plastique. Laisser lever dans un endroit chaud pendant 3 heures.
6. Sortir la pâte du bol, la pétrir légèrement . Former une boule et la remettre dans le bol. Couvrir avec un film plastique et entreposer au frigo pendant 8 heures ou tout une nuit. Méthod pour la "Garniture":
1. Mettre les raisins et le whisky dans une petite casserole, à feu moyen, afin de les réhydrater. Enlever la casserole du feu et ajouter le sucre brun, les noix, la vanille, la cannelle, le zeste d'orange, le sel et la fève. Bien mélanger et mettre de côté.
2. Sur une surface enfarinée, rouler la pâte afin d'obtenir un rectangle de 50 x 18cm (la pâte doit être face à vous en longueur). Disposer la garniture en laissant un bord de 2cm de chaque côté. Plier le partie inférieur en la rabattant vers le milieu et replier la partie supérieure dessus afin d'obtenir un beau boudin serré. Pincer afin de sceller.
3. Mettre le boudin (avec la commissure dessous) sur une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé et superposer les deux bouts afin d'obtenir une couronne.
4. Couvrir avec une feuille de plastique alimentaire et mettre de côté, pendant 2 heures ou jusqu'à ce que la couronne ait doublé de volume.
5. Préchauffer le four à 180° C. Cuire la brioche jusqu'à ce qu'elle sonne creux et soit dorée, environ 40 minutes. Laisser refroidir sur une grille.

Méthode pour le "Glaçage":
1. Mélanger 6 cuillères à soupe d'eau avec le sucre en poudre. Glacer la brioche à l'aide d'un pinceau et garder une petite quantité pour la finition.
2. Saupoudrer avec le sucre coloré (faire des bandes distinctes). Faire couler le reste du glaçage sur le dessus du gâteau.

Remarques:
J'ai formé trois boudins que j'ai tressé avant de former la couronne (voir vidéo).

Idées de présentation:
A manger sans modération, à n'importe quelle heure de la nuit et du jour.
Il est préférable de consommer ce gâteau assez rapidemment (je ne pense pas que ça sera un problème) afin qu'il ne déssèche pas.