The culinary traditions of Mardi Gras are pretty simple – king cakes and alcohol. Last week I covered how to make Cochon Butcher’s cinnamon king cake so how about this week we combine the two? That’s right, a king cake cocktail! With Cinnamon Schnapps and Irish Cream Liqueur, I don’t think you could ever really go wrong. You can even throw a baby in, if you’d like. A big thank you to Louisiana Kitchen & Culture for this brilliant idea and in spirit of Carnival, laissez les bons temps rouler!
King Cake Cocktail
1 oz. – 30 proof Cinnamon Schnapps
½ oz. each – Amaretto & Pineapple Juice
¾ oz. each – Irish Cream Liqueur & Whole Milk
Colored Bar Sugar* – Purple, Green, and Gold
– Before getting started, if you do not already keep one there, put cocktail (martini) glasses in the freezer for at least a half-hour. Pour a tiny amount of cinnamon liqueur onto a small plate, just to cover the bottom. Also, pour the sugars onto another small plate. Form a circle with each color making up one-third, or 120 degrees for the mathematically inclined. Your glass will be dipped in this to provide a beautiful Mardi Gras colored ring around your cocktail.
-Fill a mixing glass one-third with ice, something like a draft beer pint glass works great. Add the ingredients and roll back and forth into another glass to combine. Rolling as opposed to shaking a creamy cocktail like this reduces excessive foaming. It is important to use a lower alcohol cinnamon schnapps, if you use one with a much higher proof than listed, the cream will begin to separate.
– Dip the rim of your chilled glass first into the liqueur plate, than the sugar plate. Strain the liquid from the mixing glass into the beautifully rimmed, chilled cocktail glass leaving the ice behind.
– Toss in king cake baby for fun and drink up. And just a reminder, don’t eat the baby. Yes, really.
* An amazing variety of colored sugar – as well as margarita salt – is available online as well as at many local bar and restaurant supply outlets.
