Galette des Rois
Christmas passes all to quickly in a flurry of merrymaking and over indulgence and suddenly its the last day of the year. A New Year beckons, full of bright hope. I see little point in making resolutions that are a distant memory by February, but I am full of positive intention that 2016 will be good year.
As much as I could do with a rest from the continuous eating and drinking, I am not sure I am quite ready for January's abstemious hibernation just yet. Our French neighbours have the right idea, they celebrate arguably the bleakest day of January with cake, or more precisely a galette. Epiphany which falls on the 6th January, officially marks the end of the Christmas period. While we are busy taking down our decorations the French celebrate, as Epiphany is said to be the day on which the three kings arrived, bearing their gifts for the newborn baby Jesus.
A celebratory Galette des Rois is traditionally made in bakeries all over France to mark the occasion, but typically varies according to region. In the south, it is a donut shaped brioche filled with bright candied fruit, but in the north it is made of buttery, golden puff pasty with an almond frangipane centre. I have made the latter version, which is incredibly easy to prepare, especially if you use ready made puff pastry sheets. It is traditional to hide a 'fève' or prize inside the galette. The word 'fève' actually means 'bean' and real beans were traditionally baked into the cake as far back as Roman times. In France, where there is a more 'laissez-faire' attitude to health and safety, the fève is now commonly a porcelain figurine, but you could also use a whole almond. The lucky person who discovers the fève in their slice is crowned king or queen for the day. Its entirely up to you, but in the interest of a peaceful and harmonious start to the new year, I decide to omit it!
Happy New Year, 2016!
Galette des Rois
Recipe Type: Baking
Cuisine: French
Author: Slightly adapted from a recipe by Raymond Blanc
Prep time: 2 hours 20 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 3 hours 5 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
400g block all butter puff pastry, or ready rolled sheets
75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
75g icing sugar
75g ground almonds
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon dark rum - I use Mount Gay
One whole almond to be the fève or prize, optional
****
Glaze
1 egg yolk, beaten
Instructions
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out the pastry (if using a block). Using the base of a springform cake tin as a template, cut out two circles, one measuring 20cm for the base and another circle measuring 22cm for the top.
Line a baking sheeting with baking paper and place one of the pastry circles on it. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and place the other circle on top. Cover the baking sheet with cling film and refrigerate for an hour.
Meanwhile make the almond filling. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until smooth, use a hand whisk or stand mixer if you have one. Add the ground almonds, beaten egg and rum and beat until combined. Cover and chill the mixture.
When the pastry has chilled, take the 20cm base and spread the almond cream in an even circle, leaving 2cm gap all around the edge. Hide the whole almond 'fève' if using somewhere in the mixture.
Brush a little of the beaten egg yolk mixture around the 2cm gap and cover the with the top 22cm circle. Press carefully down the expel any air and use your thumb to seal the edge throughly all the way around. Chill the galette in the fridge for at least an hour (or overnight).
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Remove the galette from the fridge and lightly score the pastry with the back of a knife in a spiral pattern or criss cross pattern. You can also crimp the edges of the galette with the back of a knife.
Make a small hole in the centre of the top for the steam to escape.
Slide the galette onto a baking tray and bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until the galette is golden.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.