Galette des rois 2015

I made the traditional galette des rois (cake of the kings) on Tuesday. The puff pastry was good, but I was not all that happy with the way the cake rose; it came out a little lopsided. I think it was because I forgot to notch the edges of the cake as I usually do. No matter. It tasted perfectly delicious.

The finished cake, well risen (one side more than the other) and nicely brown and crisp.

The technique is not complicated. I cut my block of puff pastry in two, then rolled out the first one. I used a dinner plate to cut out a circle of dough. Then I spread the almond cream (a mixture of ground almonds, butter, sugar, and an egg) in the center of the circle. I placed the fève into the almond cream at one edge. This year's fève (literally "fava bean" but nowadays it refers to the little prize inside the cake) is a ceramic fresh-water salmon called un omble.

The little ceramic fish came from a commercially made galette many years ago.

I rolled the second block of pastry out, cut another circle, and laid it over the first, having first painted some beaten egg around the edge to seal it all. Next, I used a knife to cut a pattern into the top of the cake. It was at this point that I should have used the knife to make little notches all around the edges of the cake, but I forgot. I then painted the top of the cake with more beaten egg before putting it into a hot oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

The assembled cake ready for the oven. It would easily serve six people.

As I said, the cake puffed up a little more on one side than the other, even though I turned it around halfway through the baking. Oh well, stuff happens. It tasted great, and Ken got the prize in his slice. He was king for the day! Yesterday.