Description
Galettes des Rois brings French royal tradition to your dessert table with delicate puff pastry layered around sweet almond cream. Delightful kings’ cake celebrates Epiphany with buttery, flaky perfection that invites you to savor each elegant slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 puff pastry sheets (450g; 225g each)
- 1 ½ cups (150g) almond meal
- 3 ½ ounces (100g) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Sweeteners and Flavoring:
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Zest of ½ orange (organic)
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Egg Wash:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon milk
Additional Item:
- 1 fève (or a whole almond, if you can’t find one)
Instructions
- Craft the frangipane filling by blending almond meal, granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, and freshly grated orange zest in a mixing bowl.
- Incorporate softened unsalted butter into the dry mixture, thoroughly creaming until smooth and homogeneous.
- Gently introduce eggs one at a time, ensuring complete integration after each addition, then fold in almond extract for enhanced flavor complexity.
- Refrigerate the frangipane mixture for a minimum of 15 minutes or up to 3 days to allow flavors to meld and texture to stabilize.
- Remove frozen puff pastry sheets, allowing gentle thawing at room temperature for even rolling.
- On a lightly dusted surface, carefully roll pastry into precise 9 1/2 inches (24 centimeters) diameter circles, maintaining uniform thickness.
- Return rolled pastry circles to refrigerator for 30 minutes to maintain structural integrity and prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Position one pastry circle onto parchment-lined baking sheet, strategically spreading frangipane filling across central region, maintaining a precise 1-inch (2.5 centimeters) border.
- Discreetly nestle the traditional ceramic fève into the filling, ensuring even distribution.
- Moisten pastry edges using water, then delicately overlay second pastry circle, meticulously sealing perimeter to prevent filling leakage.
- Create decorative fluted edges using fingertips or pastry tool for elegant presentation.
- Prepare egg wash by whisking egg yolk with milk, then generously brush across pastry surface for golden, glossy finish.
- Artfully score intricate design on top layer, simultaneously puncturing central vent to facilitate steam release.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake galette for approximately 30 minutes until achieving rich, amber-golden coloration.
- Transfer to cooling rack, allowing pastry to rest and structural integrity to stabilize before serving.
Notes
- Master this delightful French pastry to impress guests with an authentic cultural dessert experience.
- Chill the frangipane filling beforehand to enhance flavor development and improve texture consistency.
- Hide a small ceramic charm (fève) inside the pastry, continuing the traditional New Year’s celebration game.
- Careful sealing prevents filling leakage and ensures a beautifully structured golden-brown galette.
- Create decorative scoring patterns on top for an elegant, professional bakery-style presentation.
- Allow complete cooling to help the pastry maintain its crisp layers and prevent soggy bottom.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 438
- Sugar: 14.5
- Sodium: 160
- Fat: 32.5
- Saturated Fat: 13.5
- Unsaturated Fat: 16.5
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 2.5
- Protein: 8.5
- Cholesterol: 108