Posted by Gerard on February 08, 1999 at 16:12:55:
In Reply to: King Cakes posted by Rod on February 08, 1999 at 12:34:11:
It looks a LOT like couranne raisin or something like that and the recipe is very similar to brioche.
You might want to bake it in a 12 inch round mold instead of on a tray, like that it'll have a nice round shape and stand up instead of flattening out.
Other improvements can be easily made by assembling the ring or crown from individual balls of dough, 2-3oz each and placed in the mold just touching.
Insert the secret in one of the balls, at least like that you won't hit it with the knife and give away the surprise.
Eggwash and snip the top of each ball with scissors to create a point, looks more err...royal.
In todays litigious happy society be sure to make the prize out of something that no-one will break a tooth on, I think in the French version (which is most likely the genesis of king cake) they insert a franc.
Maybe a raisin.
Regards, Gerard