Rouses_January-February-2018_60

the Mardi Gras issue

Mardi Gras Monkey Bread Serves 8-10

King Cakes are a local tradition that’s meant to be shared. We ship anywhere in the continental U.S. Order online at www.rouses.com.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THE MONKEY BREAD: 3 (6-oz) cans refrigerated biscuits 1 stick butter, melted 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon FOR THE GLAZE: 1 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Purple, green and yellow sugar HOW TO PREP

for her to routinely get calls from bakery members at 4 a.m. “It might be that we need to restock babies, or boxes, or that we’ve got an order for 300 cream cheese cakes in,” Knight says. Some stores are busier than others, including the flagship Thibodaux location and the New Orleans stores near the parade routes, but every bakery department bakes their own cakes fresh daily. It’s a group effort, and one that Knight says wouldn’t be possible without her team. “It takes a lot of hard work to get the job done. It is a long process, and we don’t take shortcuts,” Knight says. “The truth is, it’s all about having a great team. You could come up with many recipes and great items, but unless you have the team to push it and show it and love it — it doesn’t work,” Knight says. “We’re family, that’s what we are. To see us in the midst of chaos — to be so calm, cool and to know what to do to get the job done, it’s just amazing to see. To me, that’s what Mardi Gras is all about — bringing the team together, and doing something fun.”

middle.This year, Knight and her team have something new up their sleeves: a brand- new cake made with a sweet brioche dough, and no cinnamon. “Some people can’t do cinnamon and asked for this,” Knight says. The new brioche cakes are sold in addition to the traditional cakes and feature the same selection of fillings. What’s different about them is not just the absence of cinnamon, but their appearance, says Knight. “It looks a lot different,” she says. “We bake the filling in the top of it. In the traditional king cake, all you’re seeing is the purple, green and gold — and the filling is on the inside. This way, you’ll be able to see the cake with the dabs of filling on the outside with a drizzle of the icing.” Also making a repeat performance is the store’s Gentilly king cake, which was debuted last year. The decadent cake features seasonal fruit (usually strawberries, blackberries and raspberries) folded into a light, sweetened whipped cream. The Rouses original recipe dates back nearly 60 years and involves a time-tested method, with careful precision and multiple steps. First, the dough is prepared and stretched into the oval shape, then put into pans and a proofer box,where the yeast-leavened dough can rise. After about 40 minutes, when the cakes have roughly doubled in size, they are removed from the boxes and allowed to dry out slightly, around 15 minutes. When the cakes are ready to be baked they go into the oven for about 18 minutes, until they’re puffy and a light golden brown. After the cakes have cooled sufficiently, bakers flip them, fill them from the bottom and then turn them back right side up so they can be quickly iced and sugared. The final touch is the plastic baby, which Rouses places in the center of the cake rather than tucked inside. During the parades, an early morning baker usually prepares the cakes for the floats while a later shift starts prepping for the next day. Knight says it’s not uncommon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-cup, star- shaped or fluted tube cake pan with cooking spray (or grease with butter). Separate each can of dough into 10 biscuits; cut each biscuit into quarters and roll into balls. Dip the balls into melted butter, then place in a resealable plastic bag. Add sugar and cinnamon, then seal and shake until all of the dough balls are covered. Fill cake pan with coated dough balls, packing them in close together. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Turn pan upside down to remove the monkey bread. (It should form a domed circle.) Set aside to cool. Make the Glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Spoon glaze over the cake, covering it completely. Sprinkle with purple, yellow and green sugar.

photo by Romney Caruso

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2018