Galette des Rois (Three Kings Cake) & Almond paste recipe

Chef's Note

The three kings' cake or galette, made from puff pastry in which a bean is hidden (to determine the king or queen of the day) is a staple of classical French cuisine.

Ingredients

- 250 g (9 oz.) puff pastry

- 1 egg yolk, thinned with a drop or two of water

- almond paste

- 1 dry bean

Method

1. Divide the puff pastry in half; roll out to form two discs;
2. place the first disc on a baking sheet; spread a layer of almond paste on top; place the bean inside; cover with the second circle of pastry;
3. using a knife, create a decorative pattern on the top of the pastry; brush with the beaten egg yolk;
4. bake at 180° C (350° F) for 20-25 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

ALMOND PASTE

Ingredients: 10 oz dried blanched almonds 10 oz powdered sugar 5 oz sugar 1/4 cup corn syrup 1 cup water Directions: Make a sugar syrup with by placing the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Stir it to combine. Bring it to a boil and let if boil for a few seconds. Let is cool. Blanch almonds by pouring boiling water over them in a bowl, enough to cover. Let it sit for about 2-3 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain, rinse with cold water again, drain. Almonds should now be ready to be popped out of shell. Dry then proceed to next step. Place the almonds in a food processor and process them to a fine powder. Add the powdered sugar. With the food processor running, slowly add the sugar syrup until the mixture forms a paste. Store the almond paste tightly covered. If you will be storing it for more than a week, store in the refrigerator.