BAKING WITH BALLZER: KING CAKE BITES

Mardi Gras is officially here and what better way to celebrate Fat Tuesday than with a delicious snack?!

Mardi Gras is filled with Catholic traditions, with Fat Tuesday being the day before Ash Wednesday. One of the many traditions is a King Cake, usually something between a coffee cake and a cinnamon roll. They have icing and Mardi Gras colors – yellow, green and purple – and sometimes fruit fillings and/or cream cheese.

Making a King Cake seems like too much work, but I came across a recipe for King Cake Bites and they seemed extremely do-able. They did not disappoint.

@aroundrivercity Pro tip: tell your co-workers to find the baby but don’t hide a baby ???? #fattuesday #mardigras #kingcake #diy #baking #snacks ♬ Right Place Wrong Time – Dr. John

Traditionally, a small baby, symbolizing Jesus, is hidden in the king cake, and symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it. My great idea is to tell my co-workers there’s a baby in one (spoiler alert: there is not 😉 Shhh…)

Make some yourself!

Ingredients:
Bites

• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 (8-oz) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp milk
• yellow, green, purple sugar

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar and lemon juice with mixer until well blended.
• Separate dough into 8 rectangles; seal seams. Sprinkle each rectangle with approximately ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Spread cream cheese mixture down middle of each rectangle. Fold each rectangle lengthwise into thirds to enclose filling (bring long edges up to cover cream cheese); cut each into 4 squares. Place, seam-sides down, on baking sheet.
• Bake 13 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Cool slightly.
• Mix together remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and milk. Spread on top of King Cake Bites and sprinkle with colored sugars.