Galette des Rois (Kings' Cake)

Galette des rois is a traditional French pastry enjoyed on the feast of Epiphany on January 6. This celebration commemorates the visit of the three kings to the baby Jesus. In France, there are two types of galette des rois. A brioche-like cake, studded with candied fruit, is favored in the south of France, while a pastry made with almond cream, sandwiched between two sheets of puff pastry, is preferred in the north. The version I learned at my cooking school La Varenne École de Cuisine in Paris is the latter and it is the recipe I share the here.

While studying and working as a stagiaire (trainee) at La Varenne, I devoted countless hours to rolling, folding, and turning puff pastry dough, trying to master the technique. Eventually, I became comfortable with the procedure. But I must admit that in the ensuing years developing recipes for publications focusing on healthy eating, I seldom used this skill. Butter-rich puff pastry was not on the menu! Even now in retirement, as I enjoy revisiting my French culinary roots, I hesitate to embark on such a time-consuming process. Fortunately, high-quality puff pastry, made with butter, is now widely available and it makes this recipe very approachable. A version made with margarine has been available for some time, but I recommend springing for the more expensive butter variety. Plan ahead as puff pastry needs to thaw in the refrigerator. And be sure to keep the pastry chilled when you are not working with it.

 Another shortcut is almond flour, which is simply ground almonds. Grinding nuts at home can be tricky—too much processing can turn them into almond butter. What you want for this almond cream is powdery, fluffy ground almonds, and this is what you get with prepared almond flour. There are two kinds of almond flour available: Almond meal, made from skin-on almonds, has a speckled brownish appearance, while almond flour made from blanched (or peeled) almonds is pale ivory. I recommend the blanched variety for this recipe as it produces a delicate cream with a more pronounced almond flavor. After opening the package, store the almond flour in the refrigerator of freezer.

For the Epiphany celebration, it is customary to hide a fève (bean) or trinket as a prize inside the galette. The lucky person who finds the prize in his/her piece is crowned king or queen for the day. (But everyone enjoying galette des rois feels like a king, n’est-ce pas?) However, as a tiny bean might cause a choking hazard, particularly when there are small children present, I recommend using a dried apricot at the prize. The apricot flavor also complements the almond filling.

This year, brighten your January by celebrating Epiphany with a galette des rois. It is surprisingly easy to make, and who knows? You may just be king for a day!

Ingredients

½ cup butter (4 ounces/1 stick), softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 cup almond flour, preferably made with blanched almonds

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon rum or orange juice

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Pinch of fine salt

1 dried apricot (optional, to use as the fève or trinket)

1 14-ounce package butter puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator according to package directions

Egg Wash:

1 egg yolk mixed with 2 teaspoons water

Preparation

1. Cream the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a mixing bowl with hand-held beaters. Gradually, add the sugar and beat at medium-high speed until creamy and pale in color, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add the whole egg and 1 egg yolk; beat until well blended. Add the almond flour and beat at low speed until incorporated. Add the all-purpose flour, rum (or orange juice), almond extract, and salt. Mix until incorporated.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the puff pastry dough onto a lightly floured clean surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12-by-19 1/2-inch rectangle. Using a 9 1/2-inch cake pan or bowl as a guide, cut out two circles of dough with a paring knife. Pull away the dough scraps and reserve for another use. Roll one circle back over the rolling pin, brushing off excess flour from the underside with a pastry brush, and center it over the parchment-lined baking sheet. Ease the circle onto the baking sheet. Mound the almond filling in the center of the circle. Spread and smooth the filling into a circle, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Tuck the dried apricot into the filling, if desired. Brush the border with water. Roll the second circle back over the rolling pin and ease it over the filled circle. Press all around the border firmly to seal well. To create a decorative border around the edges, place your index finger and middle finger along the rim and pull the back of a paring knife toward the center to create a scallop shape. Repeat to create scallops around the entire perimeter.

3. Brush the top of the galette with the egg wash, taking care not to let the egg wash drip down the sides as this might prevent the pastry from rising properly. Working from the center, score the top in a petal design. Do not cut through the pastry. Poke a few holes in the top to allow the steam to escape. Cover the galette and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. When the galette has finished resting in the refrigerator, bake until it is firm, puffed and golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully slide the galette onto the rack to cool completely. The galette is best served the day it is baked.

 
Makes 1 galette, about 8 servings.