Every boulangerie and patisserie in France will be selling Galette des Rois throughout January. The tradition is to eat them on 12th night to celebrate the arrival of the 3 Kings to the stable but they will be eaten throughout the month – it’s a bit like the appearance of Hot Cross Buns in the UK, traditionally eaten on Good Friday but as soon as Easter Eggs appear in the shops you will find those delicious spicy fruit buns with their cross on top.

Galette des Rois are delicious pastry encasing a frangipane filling with a hidden “feve”. Once upon a time it used to be a dried bean but now it is usually a small ceramic figurine, and whoever’s slice it’s in shall be crowned king, or queen… for a day.  The finder of the ‘feve’ can choose what that means.

The tradition was founded by the Romans and here are a few fun facts:

• The youngest person in the family would go under the table as they were considered the most innocent
• The biggest galette des Rois ever made was 30 metres in diameter.
• 32 million are sold in France each year.

How to make them:

Make the frangipane – mix 125g butter and 125g sugar (warm the butter in the microwave if it is too hard), then add 125g of ground almonds.  Separate an egg and add the white to 2 other eggs and mix with the almonds, butter and sugar.

Make the Galette – Unroll a round sheet of ready made flaky pastry onto a baking tray, lined with baking paper. Spread the frangipani in the middle up to 2 cm from the edge.  Add the “feve”.  Wet the edge of the pastry circle then lay a second round sheet of pastry on top and press down all round to seal.

Mark the top and brush with the egg yolk.

Cook for 30-40 mins until golden at 200C.

Use anything that can be baked as a feve – it could be a baking bean for baking tart cases or like in the Xmas pudding tradition in the UK a sterilised coin.

    All the more fun if someone makes a crown for the winner to wear!

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