It's Mardi Gras season!
Unfortunately, this is another Mardi Gras season I will spend away from New Orleans. All I can do to cheer myself up is look at my boxes of beads collected over the years and bake king cakes, which I enjoy very much with coffee and chicory. KING CAKE (Adapted from "Jambalaya, 15th Anniversary Edition, A Collection of Cajun & Creole Favorites from The Junior League of New Orleans) Yields 2 cakes CAKE 1 stick (110 g.) plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided 2/3 cup evaporated or skim milk 1/2 cup sugar, divided 2 teaspoons salt 2 packages dry yeast 1/3 cup warm water 4 eggs 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon orange zest 6 cups all-purpose flour FILLING 1 stick (110 g.) butter, melted 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon TOPPING 1 egg, beaten 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, divided 6 tablespoons milk food coloring (yellow, green and purple) 2 (3/4-inch) plastic babies, or 2 beans Melt 1 stick butter i...