And he smelled lawnmower fumes when the oil was washing ashore back in 2010….
Folks, what can I say except that I was inspired by the Dean of all Mississippi Journalists today, Bill Minor and his column Bryant misstates state of the state’s economy. Here is a snippet:
Bryant enthusiastically told lawmakers that 2,700 new jobs had been “announced” in 2012, conveying the impression Mississippi’s employment rolls had increased that much. Trouble is, just the opposite had happened. According to state Department of Employment Security figures, Mississippi lost 1800 payroll jobs in 2012 since the previous year.
Even worse, said a year-end report by the College Board’s Economic Research Center, is that payroll employment in Mississippi is at its lowest level since 1996 and while most of the other states are recovering from the Great Recession that began in September 2008, Mississippi is still lagging behind.
One industry Mississippi (and our neighbors in Louisiana) do not lag is the New Media with websites like Yall Politics, Slabbed, Magnolia Report, American Zombie, the Lens, Library Chronicles, Moosedenied etc etc etc. Heck I think we may well be leading the nation in the voodoo we do.
So I said to myself, what can Slabbed do to help poor Gov Phil from losing more jobs? Then it hit me given the large number of people from across the country and world that read this little project courtesy of NOLA Born and Steed chatting away about King Cakes. Beyond hosting the Super Bowl it is also Mardi Gras time down here in Soggy Bottom.
There are some that are partial to Haydel’s King Cakes and Margaret Orr swears by the Voodoo Kingcake from Robert Fresh Market but for my money no one makes the “Catholic Cake” any better than the Baptists at Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune and yes they ship. So folks if you can’t come to the Mardi Gras at least Paul’s can give you a taste of the seaon and maybe you can help Gov Phil from losing any more jobs despite the government handouts we give to anyone with a pulse that promises to create jobs here.
Doug, Thanks for the shout out. Although we do divert with talk to king cakes, music and of course recipes, we usually return to the topics of politics or crime (Oh, sometimes those are the same aren’t they?)
NOLA born
February 5, 2013 at 11:41 am
Ditto, but ok, you didn’t ask for it, but here goes Doug..
Mini King Cakes
Makes 12 Servings
Ingredients:
4 ¾ Cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 Cup sugar, divided
1 ½ Teaspoons salt
2 ¼ ounce – packages fast-rising yeast (Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise)
¾ Cup warm whole milk (120 – 130 degrees)
½ Cup warm water (120-130 degrees)
½ Cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
¼ Cup melted butter
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
(See Sugar Glaze recipe that follows)
(See Colored Sugars recipe that follows)
In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ sugar, salt, and yeast. Add milk, ½ cup warm water, and butter to flour mixture, and beat for two minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer. Add eggs, and ½ cup flour. Beat on high speed for two minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 ¾ cups flour to make stiff dough. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Punch dough down, and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Divide each portion into 3 pieces, and roll each into small balls. Place 3 balls into each of the muffin cups.. Brush with melted butter, and then sprinkle evenly with remaining ¾ cup sugar and cinnamon. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, tenting with aluminum foil if they are browning too quickly. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer cakes to a serving plate, drizzle each with Sugar Glaze and sprinkle with Colored Sugars.
Sugar Glaze
Makes about 2 cups
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2-3 Tablespoons milk
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar and milk until smooth.
Colored Sugars
Makes about 1 ½ Cups
1 ½ Cups sugar, divided
16 drops red food coloring
8 drops blue food coloring
8 drops green food coloring
8 drops yellow food coloring
Place ½ cup sugar in each of three small resealable plastic bags.
In a small bowl, combine red and blue food coloring until it turns purple. Add purple food coloring to one bag, green coloring to another bag, and yellow coloring to third bag; seal bags, and shake until sugar is even in color.
Marcelle Bienvenu
Louisiana Cooking
Note: Mini King Cakes are perfect for hiding Haydel’s “tiny little gnomes.”
On A Steed
February 5, 2013 at 2:28 pm