Galette des Rois..

This traditional French dish is made for Epiphany 

(when the three kings brought their gifts to the newborn infant Jesus).

One has to hide a dry bean (today they put a figurine in porcelain) and the one who finds it becomes the king for the day and get to wear a crown. (Lucky them!)

Most people buy it in pastry shops, but click "read more" for the recipe :

If you are making the pastry, see below :

*

2 discs of puff pastry

For the filling (for six people) :

60 g - 1/2 cup ground almonds

45 g - 3 tablespoons of butter

50 g - 1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon of flour

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

6 teaspoons of raspberry jam

a second egg (1 yolk for egg-washing the top and the  egg white for sealing the two discs)

Incorporate the sugar and the butter until well mixed with a wooden spoon.

Add in your almonds, vanilla and your egg using a whisk until the mixture become white (about two minutes).

Add in the flour and put in the refrigerator to set for twenty minutes.

On the first disc of pastry that has been brushed with the egg white, spread your jam and pipe on your almond mixture. (see above  - I have only half piped it, so you can see where to stop the jam).

DON'T FORGET TO PUT IN YOUR BEAN!

Brush the second disc with egg white and seal onto the first disc pressing firmly to seal in the filling. Trim a tiny bit off so edges are all even.

With the back of your knife, knock the sides up to make the seal stronger.

Brush the top of the "galette" with egg yolk and put in the refrigerator to set for an hour.

Cook in a preheated oven at 200 °c / 400 °f for approximately 25-30 minutes.

Serve the "galette" warm!

The puff pastry - if you wanted to make it...

500 g - 4 cups of flour

400 g - 2 cups of butter

250 ml - 1 cup of cold water (you might need to add more)

5 g - 1 pinch of salt

Mix the flour and the water together to make a dough.

Shape your semi soft butter in a square shape.

Roll your pastry in a cross shape as shown on the left photo elongating the flaps as shown

on the photo on the right

leaving a thick ridge in the middle where you place your butter on.

Fold your flaps over brushing off excess flour.

Fold the two other flaps onto the butter.

Roll out lengthways

Fold the top third top down and the bottom third up

and turn so the edge on the top is on the right.  Roll out a second time.

Repeat the folding and the turning marking the top right corner with two indentations with your fingers so you don't loose count! Place wrapped into the fridge and rest and hour and remove and repeat the process for two more folds putting four indentations in the corner for four turns.  Rest another hour and do turn five on its own and the final turn six you are ready to use but you must let it rest before cooking.

This will make about four circles but don't through any scraps way as they can be re rolled for ruff puff pastry which rises less and is good for tarts.  It freezes really well also.