Galette des Rois – King Cake

Ingredients for 6 ramequins;

1 stick butter, softened, salted or not depending on your taste

2 eggs

1 tbsp rum or 1/2 tsp almond extract

2 tsp corn starch

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup almond powder

1/2 cup sliced almond

2 pears; pealed, cored and cubed or sliced

In a bowl, dilute the corn starch with 2 tbsp of water, mix with a fork or a whisk, add the softened butter, the eggs one at a time, then rum or almond extract for flavor, sugar and almond. It should make a creamy paste. If you don’t have almond powder, crush half of the almonds manually or with a coffee grinder.

Place half of the cream in small ramequins, add the pears and then top with the rest of the cream.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

Bon appetit !

For the non gluten free and more traditional version:

1 package of 2 sheets of puff pastry, store bought, thawed the night before in the fridge.

The ingredients above except the pears.

A token, can be a small porcelain subject, bean or cleaned coin.

For the egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 egg
2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Make the cream as above.

Place 1 of the sheets on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Place the almond cream in the center, leaving a 1 1/2-inch rim empty all around. Place the token in the cream near a border.

Prepare the egg wash: Whisk together the egg yolk, whole egg, sugar and milk in a small bowl.
Lightly brush the remaining 1 1/2-inch rim of the pastry circle with the egg wash. Place the second sheet of puff pastry over the first. With a knife, roughly cut all around to make a round cake. Seal the edges of the 2 layers by pressing the top edge into the bottom edge. You can also make a small roll so the cream doesn’t escape when baking.

Pierce a small slit with a knife in the top layer at the center. Draw, with a knife, curved or straight lines like a sun. Be careful not to cut totally through the top layer. Brush the top with the rest of the egg wash.

Let the cake rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes depending on your oven. You can cover the cake with some aluminum foil if it darkens too fast.

The cake should be golden brown.