Louisiana Recipe: King Cake with Cream Cheese Cinnamon Filling

Holly Clegg, known for her healthy yet quick and tasty meals, shares her recipe for a Mardi Gras classic. From her trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites Cookbook, this King Cake recipe eliminates the worry of working with a complicated yeast dough. “Kids love helping with this cake year-round—try red and pink colors for Valentine’s Day, pastels for Easter, and red and green for Christmas,” she says. For more great recipes from Holly, visit her online at www.hollyclegg.com or read her blog, http://thehealthycookingblog.com. 

Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) cans reduced-fat crescent rolls
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Mardi Gras Icing (recipe below)
 
Method of preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 10-inch round pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Separate crescent rolls at perforations into 16 slices. Place slices around prepared pan with points in the center. About halfway down from points, press seams together.
3. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, con¬fectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Spread on dough in the center where seams have been pressed together.
4. In another small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over cream cheese. Fold dough points over filling, then fold bottom of triangle over points forming circular roll like king cake.
5. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and drizzle with colored Mardi Gras Icing.
 
Mardi Gras Icing

Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Yellow, green, red, and blue food coloring
 
Method of preparation:
1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, except food coloring. Divide mixture into three bowls.
2. In first bowl, add a few drops of yellow food coloring. In second bowl, add a few drops of green food coloring. In third bowl, add equal amounts of drops of red and blue food coloring (to create purple).
3. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Nutritional information per serving Calories 184 | Calories from fat 36% | Fat 7 g Saturated Fat 3 g | Cholesterol 9 mg | Sodium 275 mg Carbohydrate 26 g | Dietary Fiber 0 g | Sugars 16 g | Protein 3 g
Diabetic Exchanges1 1/2 carbohydrate | 1 1/2 fat

Recipe courtesy of Louisiana Culinary Trails. Makes 16 servings