Here’s another favorite way to indulge during the holidays – with the “Galette des Rois” Recipe
Starting in late December, pastry shops throughout France start showcasing the “Galettes des Rois”, or Kings Cake, in anticipation of the celebration of Epiphany. If you cannot make it to France this year, then do the next best thing and try your hand at making your own!
Galette Des Rois Recipe
Adapted from recipe by Raymond Blanc
For the Puff Pastry :
400 grams all butter Puff Pastry (1 pound)
***You can use two sheets of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry if nothing else is available – just roll out the crease lines. (Watch video for tips on how to do this easily)
For the Almond Cream :
75 grams unsalted room temperature butter (or 1 stick)
75 grams icing sugar (½ cup powdered sugar)
75 grams Almond Powder (½ cup ground almonds)
1 whole egg
1T rum or cognac (skip or substitute 2 tsp vanilla)
Preparing the Puff Pastry Circles :
Roll out each of the two sheets of puff pastry to approximately 24cm (9 inches) and refrigerate covered in plastic wrap at least 1 hour before attempting to cut out circles (pastry must be cold and firm before cutting to retain rather than crush the layers.
With a sharp knife, cut out the two puff pastry circles, one 20cm (8 inch) circle + one 22cm (8 ½ inch), leaving room for overlapping the filling. Again, cover with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator while make the almond cream.
Making the Almond Cream :
In a large bowl simply whisk all the ingredients together to a smooth texture and refrigerate until chilled.
Assembling the Galette des Rois
Blend 1 egg yolk with 1T water for the egg wash (save remaining for next step)
Spread the almond cream evenly onto the smaller bottom circle of puff pastry, leaving 2cm gap (½ inch) from the edge. *** If desired, sprinkle a little grated lemon or orange zest on top of the almond cream for a non-traditional but delicious variation.
DON’T FORGET to add the fève (see my post “Galette des Rois – A Christmas Tradition“)! Place either a small porcelaine figurine if you have one or a large dry bean if you don’t somewhere in the Galette not too close to the center (for cutting ease).
Brush the egg wash around the 2cm (½ inch) edge of the smaller bottom puff pastry circle, avoiding the filling. Carefully drape the remaining larger puff pastry circle over the filling, carefully meeting edges and pressing together to seal the edge. You can crimp the edges with a fork to insure the seal.
Cover with plastic wrap and return to refrigerator one last time for 1 hour.
Baking the Galette des Rois
Preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F).
Brush the Galette with the remaining egg wash from the assembly. With a sharp knife, score (but do not cut through) a spiral design starting from the center of the Galette all the way to the edge of the pastry, repeating all the way around.
Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for approximately 45 minutes, or until pastry is lifted and golden brown.
Let rest at least 5 minutes before serving. Can also be served at room temperature. Enjoy!!!
There’s more to this dessert than meets the eye… For a little background information and instructions on how to properly enjoy this festive treat, check out my post “Galette des Rois – A Christmas Tradition“.
Happy Travels,
-Girl Gone Gallic
