If in Spain they consume the Tortel de Reyes on January 6, the day the children receive their gifts, in France and Belgium they have their Galette des Rois. The tradition is very similar to the Spanish one: it is also consumed on January 6 and a bean is hidden inside so that whoever finds it must place the cardboard crown that usually accompanies it (if we buy it in a "boulangerie", Of course).
La Galette des Rois is much easier to make than the Spanish tortel de Reyes since it consists of a puff pastry filled with almond cream. There is no yeast and no waiting time for the dough to rise. In just one hour - of which half is just baking - you can have it ready. The realization is made up of three phases:
- Make the almond cream
- Make a conventional pastry cream
- Mix both creams, compose the cake and bake
INGREDIENTS (4/6 people):
- 2 sheets of puff pastry to make the base and "lid" of the cake
- 1 egg to brown the cake
For the almond cream:
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of almond flour
- 100 grams (3.5 oz) of sugar
- 50 grams (1.7 oz) of unsalted butter
- 1 egg
For the pastry cream:
- Half a cup (100 ml) of milk
- 1 egg yolk
- A tablespoon of sugar
- A tablespoon of flour or cornstarch
First we are going to make the pastry cream. We boil the milk and when it starts to rise, we lower the heat to a minimum. In a bowl, beat the egg yolk with the sugar and add the wheat flour or cornstarch. We add this mixture to the milk and while stirring with the rods, we leave it long enough for it to thicken (3 minutes should be enough). We remove from fire and reserve (do not let it cool, cover it with a cloth or keep it in a warm place).
Second we are going to make the almond cream. The butter is melted and mixed with the sugar. Then add the egg and the almond flour, beating well.
The next step is to mix the almond cream with the pastry cream. We spread a puff pastry as a base in a cake mold and on top we spread the dough. Do not forget to introduce a dry bean to "crown" the King of the day. Then we cover with the other puff pastry, sealing the edges with the lower sheet. We paint on top with the remaining egg so that when baking it is shiny and golden.
We preheat the oven to 180 degrees (356 F) and bake for exactly 30 minutes. It is removed, left to cool and ready to eat. It's delicious.