Fat Tuesday and Spiked Tea

The feast of “Fat Tuesday” is upon us. On the eve of Ash Wednesday, people all over the country celebrate a carnival holiday. It is the holiday of excess. People will eat all that they can eat and drink all that they can drink. Also known as Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras day; Fat Tuesday has become the celebration before the Christians will fast for the next 45 days (technically 46 days to include Ash Wednesday). They will either abstain all together from food or abstain from the eating of meat on every Friday thereafter until the Sunday of Easter.

So eating sweets and indulging in fatty foods and the drinking of liquor has become a mainstay in the celebration. While celebrations will vary the world over; the indulgences are everywhere. For example: The Polish community will celebrate with pastry called the Paczki (pounch-key) A sweet roll laiden with sugar and filled with anything from jellies to prunes, The Danish are famous for their Kringle and that continues on Shrove Tuesday. Or how about in Great Britain, there they love their pancakes topped with fruits, jams, and preserves.

Today I will pass along a few very easy and useful recipes to kick off your Mardi Gras celebration:

Easy King Cake

Sometimes this cake is called 12th Night Cake or King’s Cake. It is normally a yeast bread baked into a ring, then frosted with gold, green and purple icing. This cake dates back to biblical times, but was made famous in 1872 as it made its appearance in New Orleans for Mardi Gras there. The baker of this bread would hide a trinket or red bean inside and bake it. The person that would receive the trinket or red bean would be blessed with good luck, and would have to be the baker the next year.

For easy King Cake we will use refrigerator crescent rolls.


You will also need: 1 pizza pan (or round cookie sheet) (grease with cooking spray butter spray preferred)
2 cans of crescent rolls (need 12 total for small ring)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

For the filling: (you can vary this recipe for your taste)

4 oz of cream cheese
½ c of packed brown sugar
½ c of cinnamon
¼ c plump raisin

½ c pecan halves (optional)
Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Now while oven is heating separate rolls into their single triangles. Position the points toward the center and go around with each one overlapping somewhat and forming a circle. Where the triangles meet (mid center of triangle) press seams together.

Now is the time to spread a 2” ribbon of filling all round circle, place your “baby king”, trinket, or red bean now. When done fold the short side of triangle toward center-up to the filling, next, simply pull up the side of triangle toward outer rim of ring (you overlap each side of triangle all the way around) *this step only sounds hard it is very easy.

Slightly press together the seams, now bake this 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Ice the ring when completely cooled in traditional colors or white icing!
*can substitute large crescent rolls and remove cream cheese filling and use fruit filling.
*baby figurines can be purchased in party supply stores.

Jazzed up Tea!

Iced tea can go well with many liquors but for this article, the first recipe will contain your favorite spiced rum, and the second one whiskey and Southern Comfort.

For the rum tea

You will need: 4 tea bags & boil about 3 cups of water

5 to 6 cups of ice cubes
About 1/3 c of sugar
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
8 shots of rum
Lemon for garnish

Make tea, steep bags for @least 5 minutes.

Put your cubes in a serving pitcher. Pour sugar over them, now add the juices next, pour the hot tea over the cubes and stir until all ice is dissolved, now refrigerate for about ½ hour. When cooled add ice to your cup, add rum to the pitcher and stir. Now pour over cubes in the individual glass! Garnish with Lemon slice. Enjoy!

Smooth Spiked Tea

Make your favorite tea; steep the bags for @least 5 minutes. In a pitcher
Mix together ½ oz of Whiskey and ½ oz of Southern Comfort. Stir.

Add ice to tall glass and pour in spiked tea!

Celebrate and enjoy the rites of Spring with a Mardi Gras at your house but be responsible!

“Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler”! (Let the good times roll!)