Recipe - Mardi Gras King Cake

1 pack Yeast
One fourth cup Warm water
6 teaspoon Milk, scalded and cooled
4 cup Flour (to 5 cups)
One half pound Butter
Three fourths cup Sugar
One fourth teaspoon Salt
4 Eggs
2 teaspoon Melted butter
Small plastic doll (or bean)
Light corn syrup for topping
Granulated sugar for topping
green, yellow, purp

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk and about 1/2
cup of flour. In a large bowl, blend butter, sugar,
salt and eggs. Add yeast dough and mix thoroughly.
Gradually, add 2 One half cups flour to make a medium
dough. Place in a greased bowl and brush with melted
butter. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise
until double in volume, about 3 hours. Use 1 cup or
more flour to knead dough and roll into a 4 to 5 foot
long rope. Form into a oval on a 14 x 17" greased
cookie sheet, connecting ends of the rope with a few
drops of water. Press the doll (or bean) into the
dough from underneath. Cover with a damp cloth and let
rise until double in volume, about 1 hour. Bake @ 325
degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned.
Brush top of cake with corn syrup and sprinkle with
alternating bands of colored sugar. Cake freezes well.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini