"Galette des rois" recipe to make with children

A little history

The Galette des Rois (king cake) is a tradition that takes place every year in France during the Epiphany period, which falls on January 6th. It is an occasion to celebrate the coming of the Magi (or Wisemen) who are biblical characters who brought gifts to Jesus.

The "galette des rois" is a special cake that is made with puff pastry (a dough that is very thin and crispy) and is filled with frangipane (a kind of cream made from almonds and sugar). We also often put a bean (a small plastic or porcelain figurine) inside the cake.

The tradition is that you share the cake with your family and friends, and choose a king and a queen by drawing lots. Whoever finds the bean in his slice of cake becomes the king or queen and must wear a crown (a hat adorned with flowers and jewels).

The "galette des rois" is a way to celebrate friendship and spend time with family and friends. It's a very fun and enjoyable tradition!

Our easy recipe

To make a "galette des rois" for 6 to 8 people using industrial puff pastry, you will need:

• 2 rolls of puff pastry (available in supermarkets)
• 200g ground almonds
• 100g sugar
• 100g butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon bitter almond extract (optional)
• 1 bean (you can replace it with a small almond, a dry bean, etc.)

For the gilding:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon of milk

Here are the preparation steps:

1) Preheat your oven to 180°C (thermostat 6).

2) In a bowl, mix the ground almonds, sugar, butter and eggs until you obtain a smooth paste. Add the fresh cream and bitter almond extract, then mix again.

3) Unroll one of the puff pastry rolls and place it in a pie pan. Spread the frangipane on the dough, then place the bean on top.

4) Unroll the other roll of puff pastry and place it over the frangipane. Seal the edges by pressing lightly with your fingers.

5) Prepare the gilding by mixing the egg and milk. Apply it to the dough using a brush.

6) Bake the galette for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let it cool before eating it.

Some ideas of "galettes des rois" without pastry cream, which may be able to inspire you:

"Galette des rois" with apples and walnuts: make apple sauce by cutting apples into small cubes and cooking them with a little sugar and cinnamon until they are tender. Mix them with chopped walnuts and spread everything on a puff pastry spread in a pie pan. Cover with another puff pastry and seal the edges. Apply an egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes.

"Galette des rois" with pears and almonds: peel and cut 2 pears into thin strips. Spread them on a puff pastry spread in a pie pan, then sprinkle with chopped almonds. Cover with another puff pastry and seal the edges. Apply an egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes.

"Galette des rois" with blueberries and almonds: spread a handful of frozen blueberries on a puff pastry spread in a pie dish, then sprinkle with chopped almond nuts. Cover with another puff pastry and seal the edges. Apply an egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes.

"Galette des rois" with chocolate and hazelnuts : spread chocolate shavings and chopped hazelnuts on a puff pastry spread in a pie dish. Cover with another puff pastry and seal the edges. Apply an egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes.

"Galette des rois" with figs and almonds: cut 4 dried figs into thin strips. Spread them on a puff pastry spread in a pie pan, then sprinkle with chopped almonds. Cover with another puff pastry and seal the edges. Apply an egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes.

Do not hesitate to vary the ingredients according to your tastes and to add some spices to flavor your galette (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.). Bon appétit!

Crown of king cakes in paper or cardboard at home with children:

Start by cutting out strips of paper or cardboard about 2 centimeters wide and long enough to go around your child's head. You can use scissors or a paper roller for this step.

Then ask your child to draw or decorate the strips of paper with crayons, markers or stickers. They can take inspiration from traditional "galette des rois" designs, such as flowers, hearts or stars, or simply let their creativity run free.

Once the strips of paper are decorated, ask your child to fold them in half to form a kind of double thickness. This will give strength to the crown.

Then have your child put the crown on their head and secure it in place with a piece of tape or a rubber band. If the wreath is a bit too big, you can cut it to size.

There you go, your crown of paper or cardboard king cakes is ready to be worn!