My home-made galette des rois ready to eat, along with a glass of local gamay.
I make the one I'm familiar with, which is, I think, typical of the northern half of the country. It's puff or flaky pastry filled with an almond cream. I made the pastry on Sunday since it takes the good part of a day (rolling, folding, resting). Then on Monday I made the almond cream (almond flour, sugar, butter, and egg), assembled and baked the cake.
We each had a piece, but neither of us found the fève. Maybe today!
I also included the traditional fève (originally a bean but now any number of plastic or ceramic figures) from the collection I've saved over the years. Whoever finds the fève in his slice is crowned king for the day. We used to buy our galettes from patisseries (bakeries), but they have become so expensive that I learned to make my own a few years ago. And mine are every bit as good as any I've ever bought, if I do say so myself.
I've not had the pleasure of tasting yours...
ReplyDeletebut to the eye, it looks much better than the ones I've seen in shops.
And as no one has yet invented DOS[#], I can't smell it!!
But I bet your whole house smelt wonderful...
I used to help my Mum make puff pastry...
so I have some experience of what it takes...
tip my hat to you!!
[#] DOS... digitised olfactory sensations
Your puff pastry looks superb. I'm impressed whenever anyone bothers to make their own and doubly impressed when it turns out as well as yours appears to have done.
ReplyDeleteIt looks absolutely delicious! and as if it came from a high end patisserie.
ReplyDeleteking cake - have never had one, but yours looks dee-lish! I know they make king cakes in new orleans; not here in philly though.
ReplyDeleteWalt, that looks TREMENDOUS! You achieved such height, and it looks soooo crispy! Ahhhh... fabulous.
ReplyDeleteAnne Marie, I think that the New Orleans King Cake (which resembles more the Southern France brioche-style cake ring, which is like the Spanish and Mexican version, too, with colored icing and/or candied fruits atop) is sold at Mardi Gras... complete with little bitty plastic baby to shove inside. They sell them at grocery stores up here in St. Louis, too, during Mardi Gras. I guess they liked the tradition, so adapted it to a different holiday.
I am in awe of your pastry.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of being able to devote a whole day to the making of it fills me with envy, admiration and longing.
Walt, that's just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJean, go for it! I know from reading your blog that you have the skills, and now since you are retired you have more days at home. It's not even that time-consuming. You do need to be available off and on during the process, but you can fit the timing in with other things you're doing.
WoW!!!! Yours looks better and more filling ( most probably tastes better) than the ones I buy from the patisserie here.
ReplyDeleteYum. What a beautiful galette.
ReplyDeleteWalt, that looks wonderful! After reading your posts about making les galettes over the years, I blithely said I could make one to the guy in charge of one of my french groups. Being from France, he was astonished. So last week I did a trial run (cheating, using store-bought pastry and a kidney bean, because I have not been able to find ceramic feves anywhere!), and brought the results to the Cercle Francophone here in Rossmoor. It was OK, but nothing like yours! This saturday is the "test" for the Fete de Rois. I still feel intimidated about making the pastry, so it will be another half-made version….
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ReplyDeleteI am late to the party, but yes, your pastry looks better than any I have seen in the pastry shops around the Charente. Chapeau Monsieur
I was just reading some recipes for this cake earlier in the week. I'll have to give it a try even though Harriett's not particularly fond of almond fillings.
ReplyDeletetom, you don't have to use almond, of course. A jelly filling would work, and there are probably lots of alternatives.
DeleteApplesauce is a classic filling. for these galettes.
DeleteYour galette de rois is truly a work of art. I never did get the Spanish version this year (Jerry's diet), but I can guarantee it would have been store-bought and although a completely different kind of pastry here, it couldn't have been nearly as beautiful as yours.
ReplyDeleteI came over from Ken's just to see your pastry skills. A+
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