King Cake Bread Pudding + More Mardi Gras Faves

It's time for some serious Mardi Grawin', ya'll, and I've been tweaking my menu for a little "after the parade" party that I'm having on Lundi Gras. Of course, I'll be serving a lot of traditional Mardi Gras dishes, but will also be adding a decadent new dessert. This King Cake Bread Pudding is just heavenly and is a perfect blend of decadent King Cake, and a "to die for" Bourbon-Cream Cheese Frosting. (recipe below) Sinfully delicious. cher! Bon Appetit!

King Cake Bread Pudding

1  small "day old" King Cake, cubed
2 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp.'s cinnamon
1 tsp. almond extract
Purple, green, and yellow, sugar crystals

Place the cake cubes in a lightly greased, 13x9 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, half and half, milk, sugars, and almond extract. Whisk until well blended and spoon mixture evenly over cake cubes and press down to evenly coat.

Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Cool and then frost with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting. (recipe below) Sprinkle with colored sugars. Fab!

^^^^^^^
Bourbon - Cream Cheese Frosting
 

1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

4 tbs.'s butter, softened

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 shot bourbon 

Combine cream cheese and butter in mixing bowl. Microwave on high for 15 seconds. Stir in bourbon and beat in sugar until well combined. Divine!

^^^^^^^
For more of my Mardi Gras desserts, click here.

For my Mardi Gras Menu, click here.

For my Mardi Gras drinks, click here.

^^^^^^^
Wishing you all a safe,  fun filled, and HAPPY MARDI GRAS!!! Have a blast, cher! Merci beaucoup for stopping by!

Crawfish-Spinach Bread Bowl + Mardi Gras Fun !

It's that time of the year, again! Crawfish Time!
Time for crawfish and time for more crawfish! And coinciding with the Mardi Gras season makes these spicy, succulent, boiled Louisiana crawfish even better! Mardi Gras and crawfish, what a fabulous combination! I'd like to share one of my favorite crawfish appetizers with ya'll that is sure to be a hit on your Mardi Gras party buffet. I have also made it with small shrimp and it is out of this world, too. Cest bon, cher! Enjoy! Bon Appetit!

Crawfish Spinach Bread Bowl

1 lb.peeled, cleaned crawfish tails
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup butter
1 (8 0z.) carton sour cream
1 small can Rotel tomatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbs.'s fresh parsley
Salt to taste

Saute the onion in the butter until tender. Add the tomatoes w/ liquid and salt and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the crawfish and cook for 10 more minutes. Add the soups and a little water, to desired consistency, and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Add the spinach, sour cream and parsley and cook for 10 minutes more  Scoop mixture into a large bread bowl and serve with mini toasts or tortilla chips.

********

And here's a little clip of the Lafayette Queen's parade, that I took last year, on Lundi Gras or better known as Mardi Gras Eve.We were in front of Stan's Downtown, a great place to catch beads. You can feel the excitement when parade goers are trying to catch some beads! Beads, beads, beads! That's what it's all about! Let the good times roll, cher and have a great week, ya'll!

And after the parade, we headed over to the Blue Moon Saloon for a little Lundi
Gras party. Balfa Toujour, a popular Cajun band, was rockin' the house! Enjoy!