Iz's Galette des Rois. Iz's Galette des Rois The original King's Cake. Puff pastry with a frangipane filling. I visisted France last year during the holidays and tried a galette des rois there so I was very pleased to find this recipe.

The Galette des Rois is a way for French people to celebrate the Epiphany, the arrival of the Three Wise men (Magi). The traditional galette is cut in a very specific number of slices: one slice for each person sitting at the table plus one. Supposedly, it's a traditional dessert created to honour the three kings who travelled thousands of miles to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem… but actually it is a load of old baloney! You can have Iz's Galette des Rois using 9 ingredients and 12 steps. Here is how you cook that.

Ingredients of Iz's Galette des Rois

You need 3 1/2 ounces of softened butter.
You need 1/2 cup of sugar.
It's 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract.
You need 2 teaspoons of rum.
You need 1 cup of almond flour.
It's 1 tablespoon of orange zest.
Prepare pinch of salt.
It's 2 of eggs.
It's 1 pound of puff pastry.

Friends and family will love the irresistibly creamy almond filling sandwiched between two flaky, buttery layers of puff pastry. Tradition has it that if you find a tiny figure. Whoever mentions Epiphany in France means galette des rois (king cake). A pithivier is a version of galette des rois that is prepared with almond cream instead of frangipane.

Iz's Galette des Rois instructions

Cream together softened butter, sugar, extract, and rum.
Mix together almond flour, salt, zest.
Add flour mixture and eggs, whip until fluffy. Set aside..
Roll out the pastry to a rectangle large enough to cut 2 - 9 inch rounds..
Cut rounds. Eggwash around the edge of each..
Place frangipane in center of one round..
Top with second round with egg washed edges touching..
Place on parchment lined sheet pan.
Egg wash the top of the round..
Crimp edges of round. Press a finger down on the edge while pushing the back edge of a paring knife toward the center of the round..
With a sharp paring knife, score the top of the round. I draw three lines and then put a herring bone pattern between them. You are not cutting completely through the dough, only about halfway..
Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 30 minutes..

Both are cakes made with puff pastry and with an almond-based filling. While Epiphany is a Christian holiday, its origin can actually be traced to the Romans. Tradition dictates that when serving galette des rois, the entire cake should be divided such that each guest receives a slice, plus an extra, symbolic slice for any unexpected visitor, or poor person, that should pass by. In this way, everyone has the opportunity to "tirer les rois," - or "draw the kings" - from the cake. The galette des Rois is made with puff pastry and frangipane (while the gâteau des Rois is made with brioche and candied fruits).