Cakes & CookiesChristmas & HolidayDavid Scott AllenProvencal RecipesTaste

Pastry Fit for Kings Galette des Rois

We love New Orleans, but certainly had to agree when David describes the NOLA Kings Cake as “A perfectly nice yeast bread hopped up on sugar and decorated by a kindergarten Jackson Pollock.” In his Cocoa & Lavender post, David walks the reader through the process of preparing an Epiphany galette (cake), a dessert served during the Christmas period ending on January 6th (Epiphany). According to David, the New Orleans version and the French version have little in common, except for the feve.

Galette des Rois Kings Cake Provence @CocoaandLavender

Galette des Rois

blankDavid Scott Allen
A classic Christmas cake made from puff pastry, filled with frangipane and a small treasure or feve hidden inside.
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine French, Provencal
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

Galette de Rois

  • 1 pound Pure Butter Puff Pastry recipe follows
  • 1 cup Ground Almonds
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • pinch Salt
  • 4 tbsp Butter softened
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp Almond extract
  • 1/8 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 feve a dried fava bean (fève), ceramic or glass toy doll, etc.
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 tsp milk

Quick Puff Pastry

  • 2 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup cake flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 pound Cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Instructions
 

Preparing the Galette de Rois

  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Combine the almonds, sugar, butter, whole egg, and extracts in the food processor. This is the frangipane; it should be the consistency of a thick paste.
  • Divide the pastry into two pieces.
  • Roll out each piece of pastry and cut into a circle about 10 inches wide and 1/8-inch thick (use a plate or cake pan as your template, being careful not to press down on the dough.
  • Place both circles of dough on parchment and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
  • Put one circle of pastry (and its parchment) on baking tray and spread the frangipane evenly, leaving a 3/4-inch border.
  • Press the trinket into the paste and cover with frangipane.
    Feve galette des rois @CocoaandLavender
  • Using a pastry brush, “paint” the 3/4-inch border with water.
  • Place the second sheet on top and press the two pieces together around the edge, sealing completely as you go, then crimp the edges decoratively as you would a pie. (It is very important to seal the pastry well before crimping, otherwise the filling will ooze out.)
  • Mix the egg yolk with the milk and brush the entire top of the galette with this mixture, being careful that it stays on top and doesn’t touch any of the sides. (It might keep the sides from puffing up.)
  • Using a very sharp knife, decorate the top of the galette with patterns of slashes, being careful not to go all the way through to the frangipane.
    galette des rois @CocoaandLavender
  • Bake on bottom rack for about 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it. It should be golden with tinges of brown. Serve warm.

Preparing the Puff Pastry

  • Put flours and salt in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to mix.
  • Scatter butter on top of flour, and using on/off button, pulse until butter is the size of lima beans, no smaller than peas.
  • Add almost all of the ice water and 12-15 times.
  • If it’s too dry add the rest of the water and pulse until the dough almost comes together. Don´t let it form a ball of dough; don't over process.
  • Dump out the dough onto a generously floured work surface and pat it into an 8-inch square.
  • Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 8-inches by 15- to 18-inches. (This will look like an absolute mess in the beginning! Don't worry - it will come together!)
  • Flour the dough and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.
  • Make the first turn: with the aid of a dough scraper, lift one third of the dough, and flip it down onto the middle third.
  • Do the same starting from the bottom with the remaining third of dough. (People describe this as a business letter fold.)
  • Turn the dough a quarter turn clockwise, so that the short side is parallel to the working surface and the long side with the opening is on your right side.
  • Repeat the rolling into a rectangle, the folding in three and turn to the right another three times for a total of four times.
  • Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Repeat the rolling, folding, and turning of the dough two more times, for a total will be six turns.
  • The pastry needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 more hour before using it.
  • Makes 2 pounds.

Notes

Make the puff pastry in advance as it needs to be refrigerated and folded - this is the secret behind the flaky pastry.
Keyword Christmas Recipe, French Desserts, Holidays
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David Scott Allen

David Scott Allen

David Scott Allen is the author, photographer, and cook behind Cocoa & Lavender, a weekly food blog based in Tucson, Arizona. Passionate about travel, he especially enjoys eating traditional foods and learning local customs, whether in the United States or around the globe.

David's first trip to France took place when he was 14, and he returned as often as possible thereafter. However, it wasn't until his 50th birthday that he finally made it south to Provence. The beauty, history, charm, warmth, cuisine, and - of course - the rosé wines captured his heart. He shares his Provençal recipes here on Perfectly Provence, and his food and wine pairings monthly on the Provence WineZine.

David is a firm believer that sharing a meal with friends around the table is one of life's greatest pleasures. And if it happens to be in Provence, all the better!

2 Comments

  1. blank
    January 9, 2022 at 12:46 pm — Reply

    I just made one this past weekend and was reminded how good it is! And, I got the fève, so the party is on me next year!

    • blank
      January 9, 2022 at 12:53 pm — Reply

      It sounds like 2022 will be a lucky year!

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