Have a sweet, sweet Mardi Gras!

Mmmmm ... Mardi Gras. If there's one thing New Orleanians know how to do besides throw a great party, it's great food. Here's a trio of tasty festival foods to sharpen your sweet tooth before Lent (or, if you don't observe Lent, you can consider these treats a little mid-week lagniappe)

Beignets

MAKE: Paula Deen's French Quarter Beignets

MAKE: New Orleans Beignets from Southern Living

Come rest your head on these pillowy clouds of deliciousness and let the fried dough and powdered sugar take you away. Yes, you could call them doughnuts of sorts, the Polish call their version paczki and the French sometimes fill them with fruit, but the New Orleans way to do it is just the dough. And the sugar, of course. 

King Cake 

MAKE: ​Traditional New Orleans King Cake 

MARVEL: World's Largest King Cake in 2010 goes around the Super Dome 

It isn't Mardi Gras without a King Cake! Originally created to celebrate Epiphany, or the arrival of the Three Kings in Bethlehem, traditional King Cakes have a cinnamon dough similar to coffee cake, and are glazed and sometimes filled with fruit or custard. The glaze is then usually sprinkled or colored with the three colors of Mardi Gras: green for faith, purple for justice, and gold for power. 

Waiter, there's a baby in my cake! ​Usually a small plastic baby is baked into the ring of the cake. If you're the lucky baby finder, you may be named King or Queen of the day, or, depending on tradition, you could have to host the next big party, buy the next cake or -gasp!- be in line for a baby of your own! 

Pralines (praw-leens)

MAKE: ​Local recipe from NOLA.com

What to do with all of the yummy yummy pecans hanging around the Gulf Coast? Of all the options, we have to say whipping up these candy clusters is a pretty good solution. There are many varieties of pralines, but New Orleans pralines get their soft, fudgy texture from milk or cream. 

Tell us your delicious Mardi Gras recipes or traditions below!