After Christmas, once the endless Bûche de Noël and truffles au chocolat are devoured and forgotten till next year, the French fill the newly formed dessert void with a brilliant confection, la Galette des Rois. In Paris, bakeries reopen on January 2nd with their shelves full of these much-awaited cakes. Traditionally eaten only to celebrate the day of Epiphany on January 6, when the Three Kings came to Bethlehem, Galette des Rois is so popular that pâtissiers usually serve this scrumptious cake the entire month of January.
The fun part of this cake is the tradition associated with it. In France, la feve (usually a small trinket) is inserted and baked into the cake for one lucky guest to randomly receive. In older days, bakers would insert a fava bean, “la feve,” so whatever the trinket may be, it is still called la feve to this day. If your slice of cake contains la feve, then you are crowned king or queen of the day and are awarded with a gold paper crown to wear in your honor!
The fun part of this cake is the tradition associated with it. In France, la feve (usually a small trinket) is inserted and baked into the cake for one lucky guest to randomly receive. In older days, bakers would insert a fava bean, “la feve,” so whatever the trinket may be, it is still called la feve to this day. If your slice of cake contains la feve, then you are crowned king or queen of the day and are awarded with a gold paper crown to wear in your honor!
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Galette des Rois
INGREDIENTS
Puff Pastry
– 2 sheets of all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen (Approx 1 (17.3-ounce) package)
For the Frangipane Cream
– 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
– 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
– 3/4 cup almond meal (*or very finely ground blanched almonds, as I used)
– 1 tablespoon corn starch
– 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
– 2 large eggs
– 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
– 1 tablespoon of rum, optional
For The Finishing Touches
– 1 egg yolk
– 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
INGREDIENTS
Puff Pastry
– 2 sheets of all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen (Approx 1 (17.3-ounce) package)
For the Frangipane Cream
– 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
– 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
– 3/4 cup almond meal (*or very finely ground blanched almonds, as I used)
– 1 tablespoon corn starch
– 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
– 2 large eggs
– 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
– 1 tablespoon of rum, optional
For The Finishing Touches
– 1 egg yolk
– 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
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