Happy New Year! May 2013 be healthy and
kind... and yummy, of course!
I love how, for the French (and many
other countries), the holiday season is not over until Epiphany on January 6.
Epiphany is celebrated in many
different ways around the world. There are different customs even
within France. In the south, the traditional cake is a brioche with
candied fruits (similar to the Spanish roscon de reyes) called a
royaume. In most other regions, we bake a galette, which
is flaky puff pastry filled with frangipane, a sweet filling
made of ground almonds, butter, eggs and sugar. All Epiphany cakes do
share a similar feature though: they hold a trinket, usually a
porcelain figurine or fève. If you get the slice with the
trinket (try not to break a tooth on it!), you become king (or queen)
for the day and get to wear a paper crown. If you buy your galette
from the bakery, they provide one, but otherwise, it's a fun craft to
do with your kids.
So why not start a new, fun and tasty
tradition this year on January 6?
Makes 1 galette, 8 to 10 slices
- 1 lb. puff pastry, homemade or store-bought = 450 g de pâte feuilletée
- 1 cup almond meal = 100 g de poudre d'amandes
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened = 70 g de beurre, ramolli
- ½ cup sugar = 100 g de sucre
- 3 large egg yolks, divided = 3 jaunes d'oeufs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract = 1 cuillère à café d'extrait de vanille
- 2 medium apples or ripe pears, thinly sliced = 2 pommes ou poires bien mures, coupées en tranches fines
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips or chunks = 50 g de pépites ou morceaux de chocolats
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking
sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the puff pastry in half, and
roll each piece out into a large circle. Using a template (a plate
works well), cut one 10" circle from each piece.
Make the frangipane filling by beating
the almond meal, butter and sugar until creamy. Add two egg yolks
and vanilla, and continue beating until well blended.
Spread the filling over one of the
circles, leaving a 1" rim around the edge of the pastry. Place
the trinket towards the edge (so you minimize the chances of cutting
into it when you slice the galette) and top with apple/pear slices
and chocolate if using. Brush a little water around the edges. Gently
place the second circle of puff pastry on top. Press and crimp the
rim with a fork to seal the galette.
Mix the last egg yolk and 1 tablespoon
of water together. Brush this glaze over the top of the galette and
trace a pretty pattern on the surface (softly, with a knife).
Bake the galette for about 30 minutes
until it is beautifully golden. Remove it from the oven, and cool
before serving. Enjoy!
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