Galette Des Rois

This January, celebrate an old, famous French tradition of the Galette des Rois! The Galete des Rois, or King Cake, is traditionally served to celebrate the festival of Epiphany. You may have heard of the Louisiana style of the Galette des Rois, which is served to celebrate Mardi Gras.

In France, the tradition holds that the cake symbolizes drawing the kings to the Epiphany. A small trinket or figurine is generally hidden (baked) in the cake. Then, the individual who is served the slice of cake with the trinket is "crowned" king for the day and is charged with bringing the cake the following year.

Bake your own version of the Galette des Rois, and be the delight of your next January celebration!

Galette des Rois - borrowed from the Food Network. 
Ingredients
- 1 or 2 packages (17.3-oz) store bought puff pastry sheets. (Thaw in refrigerator if frozen).
Frangipane cream for the filling, enough for two galettes: 
- 1 cup soft butter
- 1 cup ground blanched almonds
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 pinch salt
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
- egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450-degrees. With an electric mixer, beat all the ingredients for the frangipane cream just until blended. On a slightly floured, cold surface, cut two circles the size of dinner plates out of the puff pastry. Put one of them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush one inch around the edge of the circle with egg wash. Spread half of the frangipane cream on the center and place the second circle on top, matching the edges of the circles. Press all around the edges to glue them together. Press softly in the center to evenly spread the filling. If making two galettes, use the remaining cream and follow the same method for preparation.

Decorate the galette with a fork by pressing the edges together all around. Do not prick the cake. With the point of a knife, make any kind of design. Be careful not to go all the way through the pastry. Brush the surface with egg wash, but be careful to not get any on the sides.

Bake the galette in the center of a a preheated 450-degree oven for 15 minutes then 350-degrees for 30 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle with powdered sugar and bake until golden brown.  Serve warm with a gold paper crown on top.

If you desire to participate in the full version (a la the tradition of Epiphany), once the cake is sliced, the trinket may be inserted into one of the pieces. Make sure that it is small enough to be concealed in the slice, but large enough to prevent choking. All the guests will get to pick their piece. The one who discovers the trinket is crowned king (or queen). Then, the newly crowned king picks a queen (or queen picks a king) by dropping the trinket into her (or his) glass.

Tradition dictates that next year's party, or at least the cake, should be at the king (or queen's) expense!