A "galette des rois" is a traditional tart made of puff pastry and frangipane (a creamy filling made with almond flour, eggs and sugar) served for Epiphany in which a small ceramic object (impossible to swallow) is hidden. The lucky person to find the fève is the King and he then chooses his Queen. Children love this tradition and it has become rather a commercial thing with bakeries in France, the tart being sold just after Christmas until end of January. Even though, a lot of French families enjoy this tradition and it becomes a convivial Sunday lunch with the grandparents, friends. To avoid cheating, the youngest child will get under the table and designates who gets which slice.
Serves 6.
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
- 2 rolls of puff pastry
- 200g almond powder
- 75g soft butter
- 60g sugar
- 2 eggs + 1 egg white
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 T almond essence or Amaretto
- 1 "fève" (a small ceramic figure)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180° C.
Mix butter, eggs, powdered almonds and sugar in a food processor until smooth.
Place one pastry in a tart pan, and prick holes with a fork in the base.
Add the almond mixture (frangipane), and hide the "fève"!
Place the second pastry on top and cut to fit.
Make a small hole in the middle, and decorate as per picture.
Mix egg yolk with a little sugar and brush over the top.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden and the kitchen smells heavenly.
Have fun and enjoy!
