Galette des Rois. I made so many of these when I was an intern (stagiaire) at Fauchon in Paris way back when. This delicious frangipane-filled tart is the French way to celebrate Epiphany on January 6, but of course, it stays around all month in France. Traditionally there’s a fève (ceramic figure, I use a pecan) hidden inside the tart and whoever finds it in their piece is crowned king or queen for the day. Use store-bought puff pastry; look for one made with butter if you can find it (Dufour, Trader Joe’s). You don’t need a special pan, just a plate or bottom of a pan to make your circles. Almond Cream (Frangipane): 7 T (100g) unsalted butter, melted ¾ c (75g) confectioners’ sugar 1 c (100g) almond flour Pinch salt 1 t rum or cognac (optional) 2 eggs, room temperature 1 t vanilla bean paste, or extract ¼ t almond extract (optional) 1 package store-bought puff pastry, rolled to make 2 9” circles of dough 1 whole almond or pecan for the fève 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon milk for egg wash Transfer dough to a sheet pan lined with parchment and keep refrigerated while you make the almond cream. Add sugar, almond flour, salt, and rum to the melted butter and stir until smooth and uniform. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and beat in until smooth. Remove sheet pan from the refrigerator and spread almond cream on bottom dough circle, leaving a 1” border all around. Hide the fève in the filling. Brush exposed border liberally with egg wash. Place second dough circle on top and seal the edges. Use a fork or your fingers to press down edges creating a decorative border. Chill galette in the refrigerator for 20 minutes while preheating oven to 400 degrees. Remove galette from fridge, brush top with egg wash. Try to not let it drip down the sides as this will inhibit the rise. Use the tip of a paring knife to etch a design and cut 5 vents in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in lower half of the oven until golden and puffed, 30-40 minutes. Slide onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature. Best eaten the day it’s made.
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