Happy Mardi Gras everyone! I hope you have a bakery in your area that does King Cake (with or without the hidden plastic baby). That is not easy to make. I did find a faux beignets recipe that has cooks taking refrigerator biscuits, frying them in oil, and covering them in powdered sugar. I don’t think that would taste like the ones at the Cafe Du Monde, but it might be fun (though messy) to try.

I thought instead I’d put up the Praline Bread recipe today, from the Carnival Dessert Party in my Southern Heritage Southern Living Celebrations volume. I found some sites online that indicate you can use pecan flavoring, amaretto, or maple syrup as a substitute for praline Liqueur, but allow for differences in strengths of flavor. Extracts are more powerful.

*Note that this has overnight steps – and suggests that you allow the bread to “season” for three days. Interesting.

Praline Bread

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup praline liqueur, divided

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine pecans and 1/4 cup praline liqueur; cover and set aside overnight.

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add vanilla; beat well. Add eggs and milk, beating well.

Combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture, stirring well. Stir in pecan mixture. Pour batter into 2 greased 7 1/2 x3x2 inch loafpans. Bake at 325F for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; place on wire racks to cool completely.

Drizzle 1/4 cup praline liqueur evenly over each cooled loaf. Wrap each loaf in cheesecloth:  cover tightly in aluminum foil. Allow to season for 3 days before serving (oh boy). Yield: 2 loaves.

Here's another great recipe from the Mardi Gras in Mobile menu I put up yesterday from my Southern Heritage Southern Living Celebrations Cookbook. The problem I always have with individual servings is that I often take more than one...

Individual Pineapple Chiffon Pies

1 enveloped unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

3 eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 (15 1/2 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained and divided

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

10 (3-inch) baked tart shells

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 5 minutes.

Combine egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup pineapple, lemon rind, and juice in top of a double boiler. Place over boiling water and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Add softened gelatin; stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into pineapple mixture. Spoon into tart shells; chill. Garnish with whipped cream and remaining pineapple. Yield: 10 servings.

My Southern Living Southern Heritage series has multiple menus for Mardi Gras parties. This one is from the Celebrations volume:  Mardi Gras in Mobile. The menu is: cold beef mold, chicken salad, chafing dish beef barbecue, crabmeat imperial, miniature coconut tarts, individual pineapple chiffon pies and strawberries with creme fraiche. I could be happy with those desserts alone…

This photo is from “The Historic New Orleans Collection” of the “1896 Carnival pin: planet crowned in clouds; phases of moon ‘in seriatim.’” This series of cookbooks has lots of fun ephemera like that.

Miniature Coconut Tarts

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

3 egg yolks

1 3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup flaked coconut

32 baked miniature tart shells

Whipped cream

16 fresh strawberries, halved (optional)

Combine gelatin, sugar, and salt in top of a double boiler. Combine egg yolks and milk; mix well. Gradually add to gelatin mixture, stirring well. Place over boiling water; cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Set aside to cool. Fold coconut into cooled custard. Spoon 1 tablespooon coconut custard into each tart shell. Top each tart with a dollop of whipped cream; garnish with strawberry halves, if desired. Yield: 32 miniature tarts.