Cypressville Extra Book Goodies
Book Two | Galette des Rois
A French King Cake
This traditional French dessert is very popular at Chez François. When François was a young boy living in Normandy, France, he could always be found making this dessert for the Epiphany at his mother’s side. The Epiphany is a Christian holiday celebrating the day the three kings gave their gifts to the newborn king, baby Jesus. Galette (pancake) des Rois (three kings) generally has a little fève (bean) baked into the filling and whoever gets the slice with the bean gets to be king/queen for the day. In Southern Louisiana, you will find several variations of king cake available during the Carnival season, which begins on the Epiphany.
When Francois moved to Louisiana, he was thrilled to find such a large French community that welcomed him and his French cuisine. His Galette de Rois is a favorite in the region that people enjoy until Mardi Gras.
To learn how to make Galette de Rois, follow the recipe below.
Ingredients:
For the Almond Cream Filling:
½ cup almond meal or almond flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, softened
⅜ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon — Optional
½ orange zest –– Optional
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
For the Cake:
17 ounces store-bought puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 dried bean or whole almond, optional
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
Make the Almond Cream
- Gather the ingredients.
- Combine almond meal, sugar, egg, softened butter, almond extract, (ground cinnamon and/or orange zest are optional), and flour in the bowl of a food processor.
- Blend to a smooth, creamy paste. Feel free to make this cream a few days in advance, then refrigerate it in an airtight container.
Assemble the Cake
Gather the ingredients
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out sheets of puff pastry and cut out 2 (11-inch) circles. Place the first disc on a prepared baking sheet, and spread an even layer of almond cream, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.
If you wish to include a fève, you can do so at this point. Simply nestle it in the almond cream.
Place second puff pastry disc on top of the filling, and crimp edges with a fork to seal cake.
Using a sharp knife, score a decorative pattern into the top layer of pastry without cutting through to the almond filling. Brush galette with beaten egg (this will create a golden crust).
Bake the Cake
Bake cake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and dust cake with powdered sugar.
Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until puff pastry becomes a deep golden brown. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Notes:
- The almond paste can be made ahead of time up to three days and stored in an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator.
- This dessert is best eaten the same day as the crust can become soggy, but if there are leftovers wrap them in plastic wrap and they can be stored for up to two days. If you tuck a bean or whole almond into the filling make sure to warn your guest or any children. It could be a choking hazard.
- For those with nut allergies, you can substitute the almond meal with regular flour and the almond extract with ¾ tsp vanilla extract.
- If you would like to alter the recipe to make a vegan version, substitute puff pastry to a vegan brand and vegan butter. For the egg in the filling you can use 1tbsp ground flaxseed plus 3tbsp water (let sit for five minutes until thickened). The egg wash can be substituted with coconut oil.
Also, if you want to keep with tradition, have a crown around for the finder of the fève to receive and be the king/queen of the day.