Galette des Rois: the French tradition that sweetens January

The month of January brings with it a tradition that is loved throughout France (and the rest of the world): the Galette des Rois . This delicious cake is much more than just a dessert; it is a symbol of family togetherness and celebration . 

What is the Galette des Rois?

The Galette des Rois, or “Three Kings Cake”, made with a puff pastry base and a creamy frangipane filling, is traditionally enjoyed on January 6th , Three Kings Day. Inside it hides a surprise: the famous “king” or “fava”, a small figure that turns the luckiest person into the king of the day. This ritual, similar to the Catalan Tortell de Reis , full of magic and flavor, is a heritage that continues to captivate young and old. 

Ingredients and preparations for a Perfect Galette des Rois

For the inverted puff pastry:

• Part A
  • 560 g of Corman 82% butter
  • 240 g of loose flour
• Part B
  • 560 g of loose flour
  • 24 g of fleur de sel
  • 180 g of Corman 82% butter
  • 240g of water
  • 4 g white vinegar

Procedure:

1. Knead the ingredients from part A (butter and flour) for 10 minutes.
2. Knead the ingredients from part B (flour, salt, butter, water and vinegar) for 10 minutes.
3. Stretch block A and place block B on top of it. Seal well.
4. Make two double folds and one single fold, refrigerating the dough for 45 minutes between each fold.
5. Reserve the dough in the refrigerator.

Pastry cream Baixas :

• 1 L of whole milk
• 170 g white sugar
• 120 g of pasteurized yolks
• 90 g cornstarch
• 50 g butter
• 1 lemon peel
• 3 cinnamon sticks

Procedure:

1. Infuse the milk with the cinnamon sticks and lemon peel the night before.
2. In a bowl, mix the yolks, sugar and cornstarch.
3. Heat the milk and strain it.
4. Add the egg yolk mixture to the hot milk and stir constantly until it thickens. Bring to a boil for 20 seconds.
5. Crush, add the butter and let cool.
6. Reserve in the refrigerator.

Almond cream:

• 300 g pasteurized eggs
• 300 g white sugar
• 300 g butter
• 300 g almond flour
• 2 g of salt
• 14 g of rum

Procedure:

1. Beat the softened butter with a paddle at low speed.
2. Add the sugar, almond flour, salt and rum.
3. Add the eggs little by little and continue mixing for a few more minutes without beating the mixture.
4. Reserve in the refrigerator.

Frangipane cream:

• 300 g of pastry cream
• 700 g almond cream

Procedure:

1. Mix the pastry cream with the almond cream until well combined.
2. Reserve in a pastry bag in the refrigerator.

Assembly:

• 2 sheets of puff pastry 25 cm in diameter
• 250 g frangipane cream
• A bean and “King” figurine
• Mixture of yolk and cream (80 g yolk + 20 g cream)

Procedure:

1. Roll out the puff pastry to 3 mm thick and cut two discs.
2. Place the frangipane cream in the center of one of the discs, leaving a margin for sealing.
3. Hide the figurine inside the filling.
4. Moisten the edges with water and cover with the second disc of puff pastry. Seal carefully.
5. Decorate the surface with a knife and paint it with the yolk and cream mixture.
6. Bake at 170°C for 45 minutes. Then, brush with syrup (1 L of water and 900 g of sugar) and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Let cool before serving.

A final piece of advice

Although Galette des Rois is delicious freshly made, it reaches its optimum point the next day, allowing the flavors to meld.

Get ready to sweeten January with the magic of the Galette des Rois . At Baixas , the Barcelona pastry shop , we encourage you to try making this delicious recipe or order it to enjoy a sweet moment in good company. Cheers!