Galette des Rois

By Dorie Greenspan

Galette des Rois
Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Gozde Eker.
Total Time
About 45 minutes, plus chilling and cooling
Rating
4(1,265)
Comments
Read comments

The galette des rois, celebrating Epiphany, the day the Three Kings (les rois) visited the infant Jesus, is baked throughout January in France. Composed of two circles of puff pastry sandwiching a frangipani filling, each comes with a crown and always has a trinket, called a fève, or bean, baked into it. It’s an invitation to gather, as much party game as pastry – if your slice has the fève, you get the crown and the right to be king or queen for the day. Happily, the galette can be made to fit your schedule. The pastry circles can be cut, covered and refrigerated ahead of time as can the almond filling (it will keep for up to 3 days). And the whole construction can be made early in the day and baked when you’re ready for it. Tuck a bean or whole almond into the filling — warn your guests! — and, if there are children in the house, put them to work crafting a crown. 

Featured in: A Pastry Fit for a King — or a Queen

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 8

    For the Filling

    • 6tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • ¾cup (85 grams) confectioners’ sugar
    • ¾cup (85 grams) almond flour
    • ¼teaspoon salt
    • 2large eggs, at room temperature
    • 1tablespoon rum (optional)
    • 1teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    To Assemble

    • 29½-inch-diameter circles puff-pastry dough (from a 14- to 17-ounce package; 396-482 grams), cold
    • 1whole almond or dried bean, for the charm
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

868 calories; 61 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 29 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 389 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. To Make the Filling

    1. Step 1

      Working with a mixer or by hand, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and light. Beat in the almond flour and the salt. Mix in 1 whole egg, then the white from the second egg (reserve the yolk). Mix in the rum, if using, and the extract. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

    2. Step 2

      Mix the yolk with 1 teaspoon cold water; cover, and refrigerate until needed.

  2. To Assemble

    1. Step 3

      Place one circle of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border bare. Press the charm into the filling. Moisten the border with cold water, position the second circle of dough over the filling and press around the border with your fingertips to seal well. Using the back of a table knife, scallop the edges by pushing into the dough (about ¼- to ½-inch deep) every ½ inch or so. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

    2. Step 4

      Heat the oven to 425. Brush a thin layer of the reserved yolk glaze over the top of the galette, avoiding the border (if glaze drips down the rim, the galette won’t rise). With the point of a paring knife, etch a design into the top of the galette, taking care not to pierce the dough. Cut 6 small slits in the top as steam vents.

    3. Step 5

      Turn the heat down to 400, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the galette is puffed and deeply golden. Check after 20 minutes, and tent loosely with foil if it’s browning too much or too fast. Transfer to a rack, and cool for at least 15 minutes (the galette may deflate — that’s puff pastry for you). Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,265 user ratings
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Comments

Holly

I've been eating these every epiphany in my village in France (for 25 years) & know the galette des rois well. Didn't get to France this winter, so made this for the 2018 new year's festivities and much to my amazement, it turned out fabulous...and authentic! In fact, it surprisingly beats the flavor/texture of many I've enjoyed in France. Add a little meyer lemon zest to the filling and quickly brush with simple syrup right when it comes out of the oven - perfect!

Pascale

You divide the whole cake up equal parts for the game to work. We had a 5 inch galette for two adults and two first graders. Less sugar, more almond. Grand Marnier replaces rum and vanilla. One almond as a fève, three in my pocket for serving. Usually I serve with champagne, today paired with a Gewürztraminer late harvest. Cheat in your children’s favor while they’re under the table. Our cake had one almond each! PS: Bake pastry scraps with egg brush and parmesan - apéro nibbles sorted.

Cathy

Julia Child advises brushing all of the dough around the filling, not just the border, with water and then placing the top on, pressing all the air out from around the filling, poking tiny holes if necessary, and turning a bowl over on the assembled pastry. The edge of the bowl should be about 1/2 inch from the edge. Press down hard to really seal the the top and bottom together. I haven't had a failure since I started doing this.

Rebekah

Amazing. Perfect. Delicious

Blair C.

Outstanding! Made with one significant change--made with Vaughn Vreeland's Laminated Pie Dough (since I had it in the freezer), as well as splitting the vanilla extract in half with almond extract. Didn't achieve the same height as in the photo, but that's to be expected with the different crust. The flavor is incredible, delicate, and very easy to have a second slice.

Jenni Stephens

Added a thin layer of almond paste between the pastry and the filling before topping with the second pastry and sealing. So good and intense almond flavor !

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