King's Cake (French Galette des Rois)

For an extra-special holiday treat, bake this delicious galette des rois, a traditional French cake usually served on Epiphany, the day the Three Kings visited the baby Jesus. The name translates to "king cake", and is similar to the Mardi Gras king cake in that it also features a small prize hidden inside the filling. A galette des rois is made of an irresistibly creamy almond filling sandwiched between two flaky, buttery layers of puff pastry. The ingredients for almond cream all go into a food processor to blend, and then the paste is spread onto store-bought puff pastry, making this impressive cake simple to put together. Once you master this foolproof recipe, you can experiment with different fillings or make your own puff pastry. Serve slices of the galette with tea or café au lait to balance the cake's sweetness. When it comes to the small prize (called a fève) hidden inside the filling, bakeries opt for porcelain or plastic figures, but a home baker can use a dried fava bean instead. The lucky guest who finds the fève becomes the "king" or "queen" of the evening and wears a paper crown. Of course, make sure to warn everyone about the fève - if you don't, some guests may leave the party with broken teeth. If you're making this cake for children, consider leaving out the fève altogether.

Almond Cream Filling:
½ cup almond meal
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
¾ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached

Cake:
17 oz puff pastry, thawed
1 dried fava bean, optional
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar

Make the Almond Cream:
Combine almond meal, sugar, egg, softened butter, vanilla extract, and flour in the bowl of a food processor.

Blend to a smooth, creamy paste. Feel free to make this cream a few days in advance, then refrigerate in an airtight container.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

For the Puff Pastry:
Roll out sheets of puff pastry and cut out 2 (11") circles. Place first disc on prepared baking sheet, and spread an even layer of almond cream, leaving a 1" border around the edges.

If you wish to include a fève, you can do so at this point. Simply nestle it in the almond cream.

Place second puff pastry disc on top of filling, and crimp edges with a fork to seal cake.

Using a sharp knife, score a decorative pattern into top layer of pastry without cutting through to almond filling. Brush galette with beaten egg (this will create a golden crust).

Bake the Cake:
Bake cake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and dust cake with powdered sugar.

Return to oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes, until puff pastry becomes a deep golden brown. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes.

Cook's Notes:

• The almond paste can be made up ahead of time - up to 3 days - and placed in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• It is best to eat the galette the same day it is made, as the crust tends to get soggy. If there are leftovers though, wrap them loosely in a plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days.