Buttery, flaky, lightly sweet, and bursting with the pure essence of almonds. Galette de Rois is a sweet treat that will make your friends and family feel like kings and queens at first bite.
When it comes to creating beautiful desserts, sometimes you need to look no further than your freezer for inspiration. Puff pastry is a versatile and time saving ingredient that is ideal for everything from Savory Pear and Roquefort Tarte to this French classic. Combining the light and flaky puff pastry with a creamy and delicate almond cream, this traditional French pastry will turn any meal into a special occasion.
What is Galette de Rois?
Galette de Rois is a traditional French cake that is often served at Epiphany and for special holidays. Its name means king cake and is similar to king cake served during Mardi Gras with its lightly sweet and delicate almond filling.
Also similar to king cake served during Mardi Gras is the addition of a little prize, or fève, often a porcelain or plastic figure. You can also use a fava bean. Whoever finds the fève in their slice of cake becomes king or queen for the day! Just remember to let your friends and family know before they take their first bite.
Ingredients
Skip making pastry from scratch. This recipe for Galette de Rois combines frozen puff pastry with just a handful of easily accessible ingredients for an elegant dessert that's as easy to shop for as it' delicious.
- Puff Pastry - Buttery, flaky, and delicate, this makes the perfect crust to hug the sweet and creamy almond cream.
- Almond Flour - The base of the almond flour. Gives a delicate, nutty, mild flavor.
- Sugar - Enhances the natural sweetness of the almonds and helps create the almond cream.
- Butter - Gives the almond cream a rich flavor and creamy texture.
- Eggs - Gives the almond cream a light, airy texture and richness.
- Almond Extract - Amplifies the almond flavor and perfumes the entire galette.
How to Make Galette de Rois
While this impressive and elegant king cake might look like you spent all day in the kitchen, it actually comes together with just a few simple steps. Whether you're serving it up for Epiphany, or just because, the combination of puff pastry and sweet and delicate almond cream is sure to become a new favorite.
Time needed: 1 hour.
Puff pastry and delicate almond cream are combined for this classic French pastry.
- Mise en Place
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Defrost your puff pastry according to the package directions. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream
Add the sugar and butter to a bowl and mix until it is light and fluffy, and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Mix
Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the almond extract and the almond flour. It should form a thick paste.
- Shape
If your puff pastry isn't round use a circular form as a guide to cut out two circles, such as a springform pan.
- Fill
Spread the almond cream on the first puff pastry round, leaving a 1" boarder. Place the second piece of puff pastry over the top. Press the boarder to seal. You can use a sharp knife to lightly trace a decorative pattern into the top if desired.
- Egg Wash
Whisk together an egg and a tablespoon of milk to form an egg wash. Brush over the top of the galette.
- Bake
Transfer the king cake to the prepared baking sheet. Allow it to bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing. You can brush the top with simple syrup if desired.
Variations
You can use dairy free puff pastry and dairy free butter for this recipe if desired. You can also use gluten free puff pastry to make this recipe completely gluten free.
Tools
Most puff pastry comes in a rectangular shape. Using a round form such as a springform pan makes it easy to cut out two equal sized disks of puff pastry. In addition, using parchment paper on your baking sheet prevents the Galette de Rois from sticking to the pan and also helps the bottom evenly brown. It also makes it easy to remove from the pan.
Storage
This galette is the perfect dessert while also being an ideal sweet treat to have with afternoon tea. It will last for up to five days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Top Tip for Galette de Rois
Part of what creates the flaky layers of puff pastry is the cold butter in the dough. To ensure that the crust of your galette gets the trademark flaky puff, always defrost your puff pastry according to the package directions, whether it's gently letting it defrost overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter. When you are cutting out your dough if it seems like it's getting a little too soft and sticking to your work surface, place it back in the refrigerator so the butter in the dough can harden up.
In addition to keeping your puff pastry cool, you can also form the galette earlier in the day and keep it refrigerated on its baking sheet. Brush it with the egg wash just before baking.
Galette de Rois
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 mixing bowl
- springform pan as a guide
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted according to package directions
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp almond extra
- egg wash, 1 egg plus 1 tbsp milk whisked together
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time.
- Add the almond extract and almond flour. Stir to combine. The mixture will form a thick paste.
- Use a circular mold to cut out two equal sized rounds from your sheets of puff pastry. A springform pan works well for this.
- Spread the almond mixture onto the first puff pastry round, leaving a 1" boarder.
- Place the second puff pastry round over the top. Tightly seal the edges.
- If desired, use a knife to trace a pattern into the top of the galette.
- Whisk together an egg and one tbsp of milk to form an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the top of the galette.
- Transfer the galette to the baking sheet. Allow it to bake for 30 minutes.
- Let cool before cutting.
- You can brush a simple syrup over the top if desired.
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