King Cake
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Indulge in the royal flavors of a King Cake, also known as Galette des Rois, a traditional treat associated with Epiphany celebrations. In this delectable dessert, popular in many countries, including France, fragrant almond cream or luscious frangipane (a heavenly blend of almond and pastry creams for an irresistibly creamy texture) is lovingly encased between two delicate layers of flaky puff pastry. The rich history and flavorful elegance of this regal cake make it a must-try for those seeking a taste of tradition with a modern twist. Curious to discover the secrets behind this exquisite pastry fit for kings and queens?
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Galette Des Rois
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- In southern France, the king cake is traditionally made up of sweet brioche, shaped into a crown and topped with candied fruits such as cédrat ''alimea'' in Corsican. This brioche version is pretty similar to the Rosca de Reyes found in Mexico. In most cases a fève such as a figurine, trinkets often said to represent the Christ child, is hidden inside the cake. After the cake is cut, whoever gets the fève is the king or queen.
Inverted Puff Pastry
- Roll out puff pastry into a 0.12 inch/3 mm thick sheet. Prick and refrigerate pastry for about an hour. Cut out a few 0.24-inch/2 cm width strips and a 9- inch/23cm diameter disk, refrigerate to rest. Save scraps for the Parisian flan. Then, place pastry disk onto a baking tray line with parchment or baking mat (moisturize it with a wet brush; this trick lowers the risk of shrinkage during baking). Lightly moisturize the pastry edge with water and stick pastry strips in order to create a neat border. Freeze pastry until ready to bake.
Sablé Breton
- Meanwhile, roll out sablé breton into a 0.24 inch/6 mm thick sheet (make it twice thicker than the puff pastry disk) and freeze for 20 minutes. Cut out a 9 inch/23 cm diameter disk, and refrigerate until ready to score.
Egg Wash
- Mix all ingredients together. This mixture ensures a brillant sheen.
Scoring Sablé Breton
- Egg wash chilled pastry once, and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Repeat and crosshatch marks with the tip of a paring knife; freeze pastry until ready to bake.
Baking Puff Pastry
- Preheat oven to 375ºF190ºC. Pre-bake puff pastry for 25 minutes covered with parchment and an upside down cooling rack. Remove from the oven and egg wash sides. Gently deflate the inside of the pastry. Pipe out almond cream, and place a trinket if desired. Bake for an additional 40 minutes.
- Remove pastry from the oven. To get a sheen finish, brush out hot pastry sides with some simple syrup. Top with parchment and flip over a cooling rack to rest upside down; it ensures an even result. Once at room temperature, flip back on and set aside.
Baking Sablé Breton
- For neater results, bake sablé breton inside a pastry ring at 425ºF/220ºC for about 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 375ºF/190ºC if using convection oven. Keep an eye on it!. Let cool off and carefully slide over a cooling rack.
Montage
- Spread a thin layer of praliné or orange marmalade on top of the pastry and enclose with the sablé breton. King cake is best enjoyed freshly made and sightly warm or at room temperature.
Storage
- King cake is best eaten the same day.
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