Galette des Rois (Kings' Cake)
By Erica TurnerPublished on December 5, 2022
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour chilling and cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Galette
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) almond flour ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon table salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and softened2 large eggs 1 teaspoon rum 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed1 dried bean, whole almond, or trinket (optional)1 large egg, lightly beaten with pinch table saltGlaze
1½ tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon water ½ teaspoon corn syrupBefore You Begin
You'll need one package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets or two packages of Dufour. To thaw frozen pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 1 hour. We used Bob's Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour in this recipe. Almond meal will result in a darker, slightly coarser filling. Vanilla or almond extract can be substituted for the rum. Traditionally a fève (a dried bean but often an almond or trinket) is hidden in the cake; the person who finds it is crowned the king or queen for the day.
Instructions
- Combine almond flour, sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl. Add butter; toss to coat. Rub butter pieces into almond mixture with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and rum to combine. Set aside.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured counter, roll 1 sheet pastry into 10-inch square. Fold in half, place on 1 prepared pan and refrigerate. Roll second sheet pastry into 10-inch square. Using bowl as template, lightly trace 9½-inch round with paring knife (do not cut through pastry) and place on second prepared pan.
- Transfer filling to center of traced circle. Refrigerate until filling is chilled, about 20 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread filling into 7½-inch round, leaving 1-inch border between filling and edge of traced circle. Press bean, if using, into top of filling. Brush border with egg wash.
- Without unfolding, gently place second pastry sheet on top half of filling, making sure edges of dough sheets are aligned. Unfold pastry to cover filling. Using sides of your hands, mold pastry tightly around filling, pressing down around edges to release any air pockets. Using sharp knife and bowl that served as template, cut out round. Discard trimming or save for other use. Press down gently to seal edges and freeze galette until firm, about 30 minutes. While galette chills, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Brush galette with egg wash. Using toothpick, make 9 evenly spaced holes in dough over filling (eight around perimeter and one in center). To create design, starting at center of galette, drag toothpick in curved line to edge of filling mound. Turn baking sheet slightly and repeat, spacing lines about ¼ inch apart, until surface is covered.
- Bake on lower rack until galette is lightly browned around edges but still pale on top, about 20 minutes. Move galette to upper rack and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in small bowl. Microwave until sugar is dissolved, 45 to 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds.
- Remove galette from oven; turn off oven. Brush top of galette with glaze and return to upper rack until surface is shiny and dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes. Using serrated knife in gentle sawing motion, slice galette and serve.
for the galette
for the glaze
Time
1½ hours, plus 1 hour chilling and coolingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Galette
Glaze
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Galette
Glaze
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Galette
Glaze
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our galette des rois offers all of the glamour of the iconic French patisserie favorite, with minimal time and labor. Starting with store-bought puff pastry meant that we could focus on addressing common puff pastry woes of a doming top layer, lopsided pastry, or oozing filling. Taking a modern approach to the filling, a simple frangipane (almond cream) came together quickly and with a golden-blonde color and tender, cake- like texture, it provided the perfect contrast to the flaky, crispy golden-brown pastry. Brushing with egg wash helped achieve the desired golden-brown color, and a simple sugar syrup gave the pastry the ultimate lacquered shine.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
You'll need one package of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets or two packages of Dufour. To thaw frozen pastry, let it sit either in the refrigerator for 24 hours or on the counter for 1 hour. We used Bob's Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour in this recipe. Almond meal will result in a darker, slightly coarser filling. Vanilla or almond extract can be substituted for the rum. Traditionally a fève (a dried bean but often an almond or trinket) is hidden in the cake; the person who finds it is crowned the king or queen for the day.
Instructions
- Combine almond flour, sugar, flour, and salt in large bowl. Add butter; toss to coat. Rub butter pieces into almond mixture with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in eggs and rum to combine. Set aside.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. On lightly floured counter, roll 1 sheet pastry into 10-inch square. Fold in half, place on 1 prepared pan and refrigerate. Roll second sheet pastry into 10-inch square. Using bowl as template, lightly trace 9½-inch round with paring knife (do not cut through pastry) and place on second prepared pan.
- Transfer filling to center of traced circle. Refrigerate until filling is chilled, about 20 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread filling into 7½-inch round, leaving 1-inch border between filling and edge of traced circle. Press bean, if using, into top of filling. Brush border with egg wash.
- Without unfolding, gently place second pastry sheet on top half of filling, making sure edges of dough sheets are aligned. Unfold pastry to cover filling. Using sides of your hands, mold pastry tightly around filling, pressing down around edges to release any air pockets. Using sharp knife and bowl that served as template, cut out round. Discard trimming or save for other use. Press down gently to seal edges and freeze galette until firm, about 30 minutes. While galette chills, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Brush galette with egg wash. Using toothpick, make 9 evenly spaced holes in dough over filling (eight around perimeter and one in center). To create design, starting at center of galette, drag toothpick in curved line to edge of filling mound. Turn baking sheet slightly and repeat, spacing lines about ¼ inch apart, until surface is covered.
- Bake on lower rack until galette is lightly browned around edges but still pale on top, about 20 minutes. Move galette to upper rack and bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in small bowl. Microwave until sugar is dissolved, 45 to 60 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds.
- Remove galette from oven; turn off oven. Brush top of galette with glaze and return to upper rack until surface is shiny and dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes. Using serrated knife in gentle sawing motion, slice galette and serve.
for the galette
for the glaze
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