BY:
Sam Parks (January 2012)
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| Mission Accomplished! The finished Rosca de Reyes |
Author’s Note:
For
those of you not from the South, Mardi Gras is more than a day of overindulgent
binge drinking; it’s a institution that is celebrated with the same “awe” and “tradition”
as Christmas or Thanksgiving. The closer
you get to the Gulf Coast, the more opulent and extravagant these celebrations
become. While the celebration of Mardi
Gras was originally observed by Catholics to mark the beginning of Lent, is has
become a mainstay of Southern culture for Catholics and Protestants alike.
*Southern Etiquette: If you’re ever in the Deep
South for one of these celebrations and someone mentions the origins of these
traditions, politely nod your head and listen without commenting. The true origins of Mardi Gras traditions are
shrouded in the shadow of history and time’s passage. Each hamlet, burg, costal village, and rural
township lays claim to at least some part of this creation mythology, and it is
a source of immense pride for local residents.
The safest bet is to simply acknowledge that Mardi Gras is a product of
the South. Like barbecue, Moon Pies, and
boiled peanuts. Period. (even though everyone knows it all started in
Mobile, ALABAMA!)
Unfortunately,
the post-Katrina diaspora of Mardi Gras traditions did not include one of its
most enduring symbols, the King Cake. Traditionally,
this cake is served to party goers after the main feast, and is supposed to
represent the “King’s” crown worn by the Biblical wise men.
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| My King Cake from last year's Mardi Gras festivites |
But
even further to the south, our neighbors in Latin America enthusiastically
observe similar traditions to mark the beginning of the Lenten season. These traditions hold the same esteem as those
in the southern U.S., and one of the most striking similarities is inclusion of
the King Cake, or Rosca de Reyes.
So
when a friend of mine from the local university’s Latin American society called
me to complain about the dearth of suitable substitute cakes for his
celebration, I fully understood his dilemma.
It seems that if a good King Cake is hard to locate in north Alabama, an
edible Rosca de Reyes is damn near
impossible to find. I couldn’t resist
the opportunity to lend a helping hand to the students from my collegiate Alma Mater.
The
result was an amalgamation of the two traditions; the flavors of a traditional Rosca de Reyes prepared in the style of
an American King Cake. Though I am
obliged to point out the inclusion of beer would probably make strict observers
balk at the idea of calling this a King Cake, but c’est la vie.
Eat good food.
Drink good beer. And above all,
stay classy!
INGREDIENTS:
For the Dough:
-1
cup stout beer
-4
Tbs. granulated sugar
-0.75
ounces bread machine yeast
-1
cup whole milk
-4
Tbs. unsalted butter
-1
Tbs. kosher salt
-1/2
cup clover honey
-10
cups all-purpose flour (more if necessary)
-3
whole eggs and 1 egg yolk (lightly beaten)
-1
Tbs. pure almond extract
-2
tsp. Jack Daniels Whiskey
For the Filling:
-2
cups chopped, dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cherries, figs, etc.)
-1/2
cup dark rum
-4
tsp. cinnamon
-1
(8oz) package cream cheese at room temperature
-2
eggs
-1/2
cup granulated sugar
-1/4
cup honey
For the “Dead
Dough”:
-3
cups flour
-1
cup water
-1/2
cup granulated sugar
For the Egg
Wash:
-3
egg yolks
-1
Tbs. water
For the Glaze:
-3
cups powdered sugar
-1
tsp. vanilla extract
-3
Tbs. whole milk (more if necessary)
DIRECTIONS:
For the Dough
(body):
Heat
the stout beer in the microwave on high for 45 seconds. Add the four tablespoons of sugar, and stir
until it has fully dissolved into the beer.
Add the yeast and stir vigorously.
Allow the yeast mixture to stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. *if the
yeast is fresh, it should rapidly produce thick foam on top of the beer
In
a small pan, heat the milk over medium heat.
Add the butter, honey, salt; stirring frequently until the butter has
melted. Carefully, pour the milk mixture
into small bowl; allow to rest until the temperature reaches luke-warm. *place the mixture in the fridge hasten the
cooling process
In
a large bowl, combine the flour with the beer and yeast mixture; lightly with
your hands. Add the eggs and continue
mixing until everything is well incorporated and well mixed. Add the milk mixture, almond extract, and
whiskey to the flour mass and knead until the dough is springy, smooth, and
elastic. If the dough is “crumbly,” add water
a tablespoon at a time. If the dough is
sticky and won’t form a ball, add some flour.
Don’t worry about these additions; the final product is a result of the
natural gluten proteins found in the flour.
This variable can fluctuate from brand to brand (I always King Arthur
brand for my breads).
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| The "Dough Ball" prior to rising |
Grease
a non-reactive (glass or ceramic) bowl with non-stick cooking spray, and place
the dough ball inside. Heat the oven to
400 degrees for 2 minutes; no more, no less. Place the dough into the oven, and allow it
rise until it has doubled in bulk (approximately 90 minutes).
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| The "Dough Ball" post-rising |
When
the dough has risen divide it in half.
On a lightly floured bread board (not a cutting board used for things
like meat, onions, or garlic) or your kitchen counter, roll out the dough
halves until they make two rectangles, approximately 20 x 14 inches.
For the filling:
While
the dough it rising, place the chopped, dried fruit in a small pan on the stove
with the rum, heat on high for 10 minutes.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Drain off the remaining rum.
In
a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and honey. Beat on medium speed using a hand mixer,
until the concoction is smooth. *do NOT
add the fruit to the cream cheese mixture
For the “Dead
Dough”:
Combine
the flour, water, and sugar; knead until smooth and allow to rest while the
dough finishes rising. Roll into a rough
rectangle approximately 1/8 inch thick.
Cut into 1/2 x 5 inch strips. Set
the strips aside until final assembly.
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| The "Dead Dough" |
Assembly and
Baking:
Once
the dough body has doubled, been halved, and rolled into two rectangles, spread
half of the cream cheese mixture onto each rectangles (make sure to leave approximately
1 inch borders on the rectangles. Evenly
spread 1/2 of the fruit mixture on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of cinnamon on top of
the fruit and cream cheese.
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| The filling... |
Tightly
roll each rectangle lengthwise, making sure to keep the filling in this tight
roll. Pinch the long seem of the coil
onto itself to make a solid, leak proof rope.
On a round baking or pizza pan (the total diameter needs to be greater
than 12 inches) lined with parchment paper, form the rope into a
semi-circle. Form the second rope of
dough into an opposing semi-circle on the round pan. Pinch the two ends together to form a single,
large circle.
Liberally
brush the dough circle with cold water.
Place the strips of dead dough on top of the dough circle. Tuck the edges of the strips under the dough
body. At this point the entire creation
should resemble a “banded rope of dough formed into a circle.” Brush the entire circle lightly with cold
water.
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| "Dead Dough" applied |
Place
the dough ring into the oven and allow it to rise again. Approximately 30-60 minutes. Remove the ring from the oven.
Heat
the oven to 475 degrees.
While
the oven is heating, bring a small pan of water to a boil (make sure the pan is
all-metal, no plastic)
Once
the oven has reached the requisite temperature, place the pan of boiling water on
the bottom of oven. Place the risen
dough ring above the pan of boiling water.
Bake for 10 minutes, turning once.
After
10 minutes, remove the dough ring from the oven and turn off the oven (close
the door as quickly as possible). Working as quickly as possible, brush the
dough ring with the egg-wash and return it to the oven. Turn the oven on to 375 degrees. Bake for an additional 18 minutes, turning
once half way through. The dough ring
should have a “hollow sound” when tapped lightly with your fingernail.
Carefully
remove the ring from the pan, and allow it to rest until it has completely
cooled.
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| Before Decorating |
When
the ring has cooled, pour the glaze (made by rapidly mixing the powdered sugar,
vanilla extract, and milk) onto the ring.
Decorate as you desire, being as creative as you see fit!
Enjoy!
