King’s Cake / Galette des Rois

To serve the galette des rois, place the crown on top of it. Cut into slices.Whoever finds the bean will be crowned king or queen for the day.

1¼ lb. frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 eggs
7 oz. pure almond paste* (softened)
1 dried bean (such as a pinto, kidney, or Great Northern bean)
1 cardboard crown (available at a dime store or party store)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a piece of wax paper, use a rolling pin to roll the puff pastry into a disk œ-inch thick. Use the wax paper to transfer the disk to a greased cookie sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, mix 1 egg with almond paste until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly onto the pastry. Place the bean on the almond paste.
3. On the wax paper, roll out a second disk Π-inch thick. Place this disk on top of the almond-filled disk and press it down tightly around the rim.
4. In a small bowl, use a whisk or a fork to lightly beat the remaining egg. Use a pastry brush to spread it on top of the disks.
5. Bake the galette for 20 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400°F.
6. Continue baking for another 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Serves 8

*If you cannot find pure almond paste in the grocery store, make the recipe for Vanilla Pastry Cream on page 66. Substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract.