Mardi Gras is just around the corner! And I have a king cake and some New Orleans' coffee to give away to help you celebrate! The king cake is traditionally associated with the beginning of Carnival Season, which starts on Twelfth Night and ends on Mardi Gras. There's usually a small plastic baby hidden inside the cake, and whoever finds it is supposed to have good fortune for the year.
I recently sampled a king cake from Sucré, a bakery in New Orleans. Their version features a braided, buttery brioche dough sweetened with cinnamon and sugar and stuffed with a cream cheese filling. The cake is glazed with purple, gold, and green sugar (the colors represent faith, power, and justice), and it's delicious. I cut myself a slice, warmed it in the microwave for 10 seconds, and sat down to inhale the sugary goodness. It's like a really moist, buttery, sweet coffee cake.
Along with the king cake, I also received a sample of New Orleans Pecan Praline coffee from Sucré. It's flavored with pecans, brown sugar, and a little bit of vanilla. Pralines go far back in New Orleans history, first brought from France by Ursuline nuns in 1727.
If you'd like to win these Sucré treats for a Carnival Season or Mardi Gras celebration, just leave a comment about Mardi Gras, New Orleans, king cakes, or Sucré! (You have until 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 3, 2013. Please make sure to include an email or link to your blog so that I can notify you if you've won.)
Oh, and be sure to check out Sucré's website. They have all sorts of other fun sweets, like Mardi Gras macarons, chocolate-covered macarons, and festive chocolates too!
Sucré sent me a complimentary king cake and bag of coffee, but as always, my opinions are my own.
Congratulations to Rachel! (She was chosen using Random Integer Generator. Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. Remember, if you didn't win, you can still order one of Sucré's fabulous king cakes!