Cracked Cauldron Spillings

In America, this festive holiday is exemplified by the Mardi Gras celebrations of New Orleans. I am proud that even the devastations of Katrina and Rita weren't enough to stem the joyfulness that is the best of Mardi Gras (we'll overlook the reports of float riders abusing and injuring parade watchers, and vice versa).

Every year, we bake King Cakes to celebrate the holiday. Chocolate King Cakes filled with rich mousse and almonds, topped with tinted coconut. Vanilla King cakes filled with Bavarian Creme, topped with colored glaze and sugars. Rich spicy King Cakes filled with fruits and nuts of all sorts.

This year, we made Minty Fresh King Cakes, filled with chopped Andes mints and cardamoms, topped with an almond glaze and covered in colored sugar sprinkles. It was light, and sweet, and went most excellently with chicory coffee.