I Take Requests: Galette des Rois

Not exactly the right month to be making a Galette des Rois!
But let me explain.

A Galette des Rois also known as a "Kings Cake" is traditionally eaten in France on January 6, Epiphany Day. Many countries celebrate this tradition and bake a little dried bean or ceramic baby inside the cake and whoever bites into it gets to be "King or Queen for the day" (and maybe a trip to the dentist!).

I know New Orleans also has a similar cake for Mardi Gras.

I take requests, and this cake was requested by my friend who had a birthday last week. She is Parisian and has not had this cake since she was a child living in France. Could I PLEASE bake this for her? It was her all time favorite.

I read somewhere that if you make this any other month than January, then just call it a Pithivier, which is basically a puff pastry pie filled w/ frangipane!

Galette des Rois or Pithivier: (adapted from many websites)

I guess you could go all out and make your own puff pastry, but only one request per person.

2 defrosted sheets of puff pastry

Filling:

1/2 cup of whole almonds, ground in the food processor
5 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
7 tablespoons of butter, softened

dried bean or trinket (I used a dried cherry, so nobody got hurt!!!)
1 beaten egg (for brushing the pastry)

Spread one sheet of puff pastry out on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Spread your filling in the center leaving 2" around the edges.



Put the dried bean or dried cherry somewhere on the almond filling (frangipane).



Now lay the other sheet of pastry on top, pinching the sides together to seal the sheets together.
Decoratively scallop the edges with a paring knife, discarding the scraps.



Brush w/ an egg wash.

Bake on the parchment paper at 425 for about 20 minutes. If your pastry is starting to brown too soon, then turn the heat down.

Please do not request a beef stew in August, because I am not that nice.

Enjoy!