Cook first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Cool mixture to 100° to 110°.

Dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Punch dough down; divide in half. Turn 1 portion out onto a lightly floured surface; roll to a 28- x 10-inch rectangle. Spread half each of cinnamon mixture and softened butter on dough. Roll dough, jellyroll fashion, starting at long side. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, cinnamon mixture, and butter.

Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until golden. Decorate with bands of Colored Frostings, and sprinkle with Colored Sugars.

Note: Once the cake has cooled, randomly insert a plastic baby doll, if desired, before frosting.

Stir together all ingredients. Serve over ice.

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 4 ingredients; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt, and red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until caramel colored (about 10 minutes). Add next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Stir in crawfish; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with rice. Garnish, if desired.

*2 pounds frozen cooked crawfish tails, thawed and drained, may be substituted for fresh crawfish.

Brown andouille sausage in a Dutch oven ove medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove sausage, reserving dripping in pan. Set sausage aside.

Cut chicken breasts and thighs into 1-inch pieces, and brown in hot drippings over medium heat. Remove chicken, reserving drippings.

Measure drippings, adding enough olive oil to measure 1/2 cup. Heat mixture in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Whisk in flour , and cook, whisking constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until roux is caramel colored.

Add chopped onion and next 3 ingredients; cook, stirring often, untilvegetables are tender. Gradually stir in 4 cups water and broth; bring to a boil. Add chicken, Creole seasoning, and next 3 ingredients; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

Add sausage and green onions, and cook 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves; serve over rice. Serve with filé powder, and garnish, if desired.

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender.

Remove chicken, reserving 3/4 cup broth; discard onion and bay leaves. Cool, skin, bone, and coarsely chop chicken, set aside.

Whisk together all-purpose flour and vegetable oil in Dutch oven; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minutes or until roux is caramel colored. Stir in chopped bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add sliced okra, tomatoes and chiles, dried thyme and reserved 3/4 cup chicken broth. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired. Add shrimp and 2 cups chopped chicken to gumbo; cook 8 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.

Roll out pastry sheet on a floured surface; cut into 4 (5-inch) squares. Return pastry to freezer for at least 15 minutes. Cut out decoratives shapes from excess pastry strips.

Ladle gumbo into 4 ovenproof soup bowls, filling three-fourths full. Place 1 pastry square over each bowl, pressing firmly to sides to seal edges. Place decorative shapes on top of pastry. Brush pastry with egg.

Bake at 400º for 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Serve pot pies with hot sauce, if desired.

Sauté tasso and chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove with a slotted spoon, and reserve drippings in skillet.

Add celery, onion, and bell pepper to reserved drippings; sauté until tender. Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes; simmer 15 minutes.

Add rice, tasso, and chicken. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Slice off top third of loaf; hollow out bottom section, reserving crumbs for another use. Spread inside surfaces of bread with butter. Place bread on a baking sheet, and bake at 400° for 8 minutes. Set aside.

Dredge oysters in cornmeal mix. Fry oysters, in batches, in deep hot oil (375°) 2 minutes or until oysters float to the top and are golden. Drain oysters well on paper towels; keep warm.

Combine mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients; stir well. Stir in lettuce. Spread lettuce mixture in hollowed bread. Top with tomato slices, oysters, and top of loaf. Cut loaf into 4 portions.

Stir together flour and Creole seasoning, dredge beef in mixture.

Brown beef in hot olive oil in a 5 quart casserole over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add wine, stirring to remove browned particles from bottom of pan. Add celery and carrot, and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes.

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired; set aside.

Sauté smoked sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté 2 to 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes and next 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in shrimp; cook 3 to 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

Spread shrimp in a shallow, aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.

Combine butter and next 12 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts, and pour over shrimp. Cover and chill 2 hours, turning shrimp every 30 minutes.

Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes; turn once. Serve with bread.

Combine cornmeal and Creole seasoning; dredge oysters in mixture.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 375°. Fry oysters, in 3 batches, 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on wire racks.

Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, vinegar, and mustard. Stir in cabbage; set slaw aside.

Stir together remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, ketchup, and next 3 ingredients.

Spread cut sides of rolls with mayonnaise mixture. Place oysters and slaw evenly on bottom halves of rolls; cover with roll tops.

Combine lemon halves, next 3 ingredients, and salted water to cover in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; add shrimp, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Plunge shrimp into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain.

Peel shrimp, leaving tails on. Devein, if desired.

Combine orange juice and next 9 ingredients in a large shallow dish or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp, cover or seal, and chill 25 minutes. Drain off liquid. Serve shrimp over lettuce leaves with Louis Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Slice croissants in half lengthwise; tear bottom halves of croissants into small pieces.

Heat bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat; stir in raisins. Remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. Layer croissant pieces evenly in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with raisins. Place croissant tops, crust sides up, over mixture.

Whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisk in cream, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour mixture over croissant tops; press bread to absorb liquid. Cover; chill 1 hour.

Place dish into a larger pan. Pour hot water into larger pan, filling half full.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 15 more minutes. Remove from oven, and remove dish from water pan. Serve warm with Bourbon Sauce.

Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Stir together milk and egg until smooth. Toss shrimp in milk mixture; dredge in flour mixture.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven; heat to 375°. Fry shrimp, in batches, 1 to 2 minutes or until golden; drain on wire racks.

Melt butter; add garlic. Spread cut sides of rolls evenly with butter mixture; place on a large baking sheet.

Bake at 450° for 8 minutes. Spread cut sides of rolls evenly with Remoulade Sauce. Place shrimp and lettuce on bottom halves of rolls; cover with roll tops.

Stir together all ingredients; cover and chill until ready to serve.

1. Make the yeast mixture: Combine yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1 tsp. granulated sugar in bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes. Add milk, eggs, salt, and remaining granulated sugar.

2. Form a dough: Microwave remaining 1 cup water until hot (about 115°); stir in shortening until melted. Add to yeast mixture. Beat at low speed, gradually adding 4 cups flour, until smooth. Gradually add remaining 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour, beating until a sticky dough forms. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.

3. Roll and cut: Turn dough out onto a floured surface; roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.

4. Fry until golden: Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 360°. Fry dough, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack. Dust immediately with powdered sugar.