Galette des Rois
This delicious almondy cake is traditionally served on the eve of the epiphany, the twelfth night of Christmas. Some cultures (think Louisiana!) serve a version of this cake from the epiphany through to Shrove Tuesday. The baker (you!) hides something called “the fève” inside it in the filling (it can be a whole almond or other nut or a bean or something small like that) and the person who gets the fève in their slice is the winner and gets to be king for the day and wear a crown.
This cake seems like it would be very complicated to make - when in fact it’s very easy. Two key ingredients are store bought, and the only thing to ever remember is to leave one inch around the border and don’t let anything get on it. When it comes out of the oven glossy and beautiful everyone will know who is really king that day.
Galette des Rois
A simplified take on a traditional French cake served over the Epiphany
Time
- Prep: 30 mins + chilling time
- Cook: 40 mins
- Total: 1hr 10mins + chilling time
Ingredients
- 1 package (2 sheets) store bought puff pastry, thawed
- 6 TB unsalted butter at room temp
- A couple of TB of apricot jam, I like the Bonne Maman “intense”
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
- ¾ cup almond flour (or meal works too – just a more textured filling)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs + 1 yolk, divided
- 1 TB dark rum
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 whole nut or little bean for the fève
Recipe
- Using a hand mixer (or standing mixer if you like doing annoying dishes) whip the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Beat in the almond flour and salt. Add one egg and whip, then the other and whip, then the rum, almond extract and vanilla extract. Place the filling in the fridge to chill for an hour or so.
- Whisk the remaining egg yolk with a teaspoon of cold water and put it in the fridge also.
- On some parchment paper roll the pastry out to about ¼ inch thick. Using a 9½ - 10 inch dinner plate as a template, cut out two same sized circles and set one aside.
- Spread a few spoonfuls of apricot jam on one of the pastry circles, leaving one inch of space around the rim. If you aren’t ready to assemble, then stick this in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to assemble, spoon the almond mixture evenly onto the jam circle, taking care to leave the same inch around the rim. Take your fève and press it into the filling somewhere sneaky. Have the other circle of pastry handy. Generously moisten your inch of border with cold water and then carefully place the other circle of pastry on top. Firmly press the top and bottom together all around the border, letting out any extra air where possible. You need to do this firmly so the filling doesn't escape in the oven. Then using the side of a dinner knife, make nice indentions about every ¼ inch around the border you pressed down. Put cake in the fridge one last time for 30 mins or so.
- Preheat oven to 425. Take galette out of the fridge and brush GENTLY with the egg wash (that you also need to get out of the fridge). Do NOT get egg wash on your 1 inch border or it won’t puff. Then using a knife gently trace a nice design on the top of the cake. Don’t cut all the way through the pastry, except for in 4-6 places towards the middle (these will work as vents). You can incorporate these cuts into the design and no one will know.
- When you’re ready to bake, drop the oven temp to 400. Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking around 15 or 20 minutes to make sure the top doesn’t get too brown. If it is looking brown tent it with foil for the rest of the journey.
- Serve warm, room temp or chilled. The traditional way to do it is the youngest child goes under the table as the cake is being cut. S/he then comes out and decides who gets which piece. The person who gets the fève in their slice gets to wear a crown and be king for the day!