
ABOUT THE ART
Massys, Quinten. The Adoration of the Magi. 1526. Oil on wood. John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1911. 40 1/2 x 31 1/2 in. (102.9 x 80 cm). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Accession Number: 11.143.
The Antwerp Mannerist style of the first half of the sixteenth century is characterized by intentionally claustrophobic compositions, which are showcased in this artwork. The cosmopolitan community in Antwerp favored finely wrought goldsmith work, as seen in abundance here. The artist’s fascination with exaggerated physiognomic types, popularized by Leonardo da Vinci and disseminated through prints, is evident in the caricature-like features of the Magi and their entourage. In addition, the highly individualized portrayal of the African king attests to the presence of both free and enslaved Black people in Antwerp, brought about by trade relations with Portugal. It was Massys’ interest in physiognomy that made him a talented portraitist.
Day of Epiphany – January 6th
In some parts of Christianity, particularly in the East, Epiphany is celebrated as a grander festival than Christmas, and was even once considered an alternative date for Christmas. Today, the celebration focuses on the revelation of the divine identity of the Christ-child, as opposed to his birth which is the center of the Christmas festival. Epiphany is derived from the Greek word meaning “showing” or “revealing.” This theme is carried through the Season of Epiphany that follows, and in many places, Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine is also commemorated.
In the West, the feast of Epiphany centers on the visit of the Three Kings, who represent the first step in the whole world paying homage to the coming kingdom of God. While they were not actually kings, but rather astrologers from the East, the Three Kings brought three gifts – gold, frankincense, and myrrh – and their visit was an epiphany of the divine identity of Christ. Over time, legends developed that gave the Magi their names: Caspar, Melchoir, and Balthasar.
One beloved Epiphany tradition, or twelfth-night, is the chalking of the door, which is a blessing for a home in the new year. To perform this tradition, one marks the first half of the year, followed by a cross or plus sign, and then the initials of each king separated by crosses and the last two digits of the year. (For instance, 20+ C+ M+ B+21.) This act doubles as an abbreviation for Christus mansionem benedicat, meaning “May Christ bless this house.”
The traditional food for Epiphany is the Three King’s Cake, also known as a King’s Cake. In the Gulf Coast, this sweet treat is enjoyed throughout the season of Epiphany and has become associated with Mardi Gras. The cake originally consisted of a loaf of regular bread with a bean cooked in it, but has since evolved into a very sweet treat covered in icing and Mardi Gras covered sprinkles. Each cake contains a fève, a figurine, which has traditionally been a fava bean but is now any small figurine. The person who finds the fève, bean, or other figurine is designated queen or king for the day and is said to be especially blessed. Other traditions suggest that the person who finds the fève must bring the king cake to the next party or plan the party for Candlemas on February 2nd. The Rosca de Reyes, a traditional Spanish version of the Three King’s Cake, is filled with dried fruit and nuts, shaped like a crown, and garnished with candied cherries that represent jewels in the crown. It is not as sweet as the Americanized version, but can be decorated with icing and sprinkles as desired.

Three King's Cake (Rosca de Reyes)
Rosca de Reyes, also known as the Kings' Ring of Three King's Cake, is a traditional sweet bread that is typically eaten in Mexico and other Latin American countries on January 6th to celebrate the Christian holiday of Epiphany, also known as Día de Reyes (Three Kings' Day). The bread is typically round or oval-shaped, resembling a crown, and decorated with colorful candied fruits to represent the jewels of the crown. A small figurine, representing the baby Jesus, is often hidden inside the bread, and whoever finds it in their slice is considered to be the "godparent" of the baby Jesus and is responsible for hosting a party on Candlemas Day (February 2nd).
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Ingredients
- For the Dough
2/3 cup 2/3 (163 grams) milk
5 1/3 tablespoons 5 1/3 (74 grams) butter, cold
1/3 cup 1/3 (67 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 salt
2 large 2 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons 2 instant yeast
3 1/4 cups 3 1/4 (390 grams) All-Purpose Flour
- For the Filling
2 tablespoons 2 (28 grams) butter, melted
2 tablespoons 2 (25 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 cinnamon
1/2 cup 1/2 (57 grams) chopped nuts
3/4 cup 3/4 dried mixed fruits (raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc)
1 tablespoon 1 orange zest
- Garnish
1 1 egg, beaten
Candied red or green cherries
Crushed nuts
Glaze: 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of water, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Directions
- For the dough: Heat the 2/3 cup milk to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the hot milk over the 5 1/3 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir occasionally until the butter melts. Cool the mixture to lukewarm. (Note: If you add the mixture to the yeast in Step 2 before the mixture has cooled enough, it will kill the yeast and your dough won't rise as intended.)
- In a mixing bowl combine the milk mixture (once it has cooled), 2 large eggs, and 2 teaspoons instant yeast. Add the 3 1/4 cups flour (1 cup at a time), and mix for 5 - 10 minutes or until a soft, smooth dough forms. You can do this by hand or using a stand mixer.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased container, cover it, and let rise until doubled in size, normally about 1 1/2 hours.
- Deflate the dough, cover, and let it rest for an additional 10 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 20" x 12" rectangle.
- Brush the surface of the dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter, leaving a 1/2" strip bare along one of the long edges.
- Combine the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 3/4 cup mixed fruits, and 1 tablespoon orange zest, and stir to coat. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered section of the dough.
- Starting with the buttered long edge, loosely roll the dough up, working toward the edge with no butter on it. Pinch the seam together to seal it firmly, then bring the two ends together to form a ring.
- To help the cake keep a round shape, grease the outside of a small bowl and put it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the dough ring, seam side down, around the bowl and tuck one end inside the other, pinching it together to seal it.
- Flatten the ring slightly, and using a pair of kitchen scissors, make cuts in the dough at 1 1/2" intervals around the outside edge. Hide a doll, candy, bean, or whole nut inside the bread through one of these outside holes. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until nearly doubled, approximately 40 minutes.
- Once the dough is shaped and is rising for the second time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- When the dough is risen, remove the plastic wrap and center bowl, and brush the top with beaten egg. Place the candied cherries (cut in half) in the spaces between the slits in the dough, and decorate with nuts as desired.
- Bake the bread for 10 minutes then drizzle the glaze (1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of water, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract) over the top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes and then cover the loaf loosely with aluminum foil for the final 15 minutes of baking. (Approximate baking time total= 30 minutes)
- Remove the bread from the oven when the inner parts of the slits look cooked and the interior measures 190°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer. Cool the bread on a rack.