Jimeats –

This is the recipe given to me by Ms Marie Collins. Ms Marie was a god send during my time in bayou country. She checked up on me and made sure I was "ettin" right. She was older than the dirt she walked on, but that just made her more special.

2 packs dry yeast active
1/2 Cup water (hotter than you but not too hot) 103-110 range
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 Cups ap flour
1/2 Cup sugar
2 handfuls salt
Big pinch nutmeg
Handful lemon skin (lemon zest, grated)
1/2 Cup water, lukewarm
3 Large eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup real butter, room temp
1 Large egg, beat it with 1 tsp of milk
1 dried bean (small plastic doll or plastic coin)
3 Cups powdered sugar
1/4 Cup lemon juice
3 tsp water or more
colored sugars (purple green yellow)

Dissolve yeast in water for about 10 minutes
Mix flour, sugar, nutmeg, salt and lemon skin in a large bowl
Make a well in center of your dry mix
Add yeast mixture the milk, the eggs and the egg yolks, mix em up well
Beat in butter a knob at a time until dough forms a ball
Turn out onto floured table you may need to mix in some more flour
Knead until dough is springy and smooth
Put dough in a buttered bowl making sure all the dough ball is covered
Cover with a towel rise until doubled
Take your pan and brush it with butter
Punch down dough on floured table

Roll with your hands til it looks like a tinder log (umm tube shape about 16 inches are so)
Place dough on your pan turn it into a ring

Press the bean somewhere into the dough so NO knows where its hid
Set covered in warm spot so it will rise with a towel (about an hour)

Before you put it in the oven brush itgood with the egg milk mixture

Bake in a 375� oven until golden brown (30 minutes there about)
Take cake out and cool on wire rack

Mix all the icing ingredients until glossyy
Drizzle heavily over the top of the cake, letting it drip down inside

Immediately sprinkle sugars over icing in 3 finger widths stripe of color (alternate green purple yellow)

"Now don’t go an forget to tell da folk about da bean, they that finds it has got to make the next one"

I hope this helps and I hope you have fun with it

Are you planning on stuffing one of those plastic babies in it? If so, I would be sure to tell everyone at the party. My aunt unsuspectingly bit into a piece and broke her bridge.

Can’t help with baking tips as I’ve never made one, but admire your0 spirit and wish you luck.