When we took our kids to France in 2006, we went to an antiques fair in a small village in the Loire Valley. As we happily ate our way through the fair, sampling homemade French pastries and treats, we came across a stall with a man selling the most beautiful little ceramic figurines I have ever seen.
I’m a big fan of little things.
I tend to want to collect little things wherever I go. So, I brought the kids over and together we selected our favorite figurines from the hundreds on display.
I had no idea what these were but each one seemed to have a little story of its own and my kids took to them right away.
So much so, that we ended up buying boatload!
The kids instantly fell in love with our new purchases.
They spent the afternoon counting, sorting, classifying, naming and playing with them.
And yet, we still didn’t know what they were!
Finally, we tracked down the caretaker of the house we rented and found out that these little figurines are called fèves.
Fève, French for bean.
Or…the trinket in a King Cake, otherwise known in French as Galette des Rois.
Galette des Rois is a cake traditionally made and consumed in France. The cake originated in Roman Festivals in which the Romans would designate a slave “king for the day”.
They would bake the cake with a bean inside and the slave who received the slice with the bean would be free of his duties for the day, or even be granted the right to return back to his village forever.
I love stories like this.
And so do kids!
Nowadays, the cake is made for Epiphany, a Christian holiday, which occurs on January 6th.
I have made this cake many times, and every time, finding the bean brings laughter and great memories!
The recipe is simple enough for a last-minute dessert and the making of it can be enjoyed by the entire family.
Enjoy!
Galette des Rois (King Cake)
It doesn’t have to be Epiphany (a Christian holiday celebrated January 6th) to bake and enjoy this delicious French pastry. I personally love baking this for my friends on special occasions (birthdays, graduations, Mother’s/Father’s Day, Easter brunch). The flavor is so unique and the surprise element of finding a bean inside makes for a beautiful offering to family and friends.
- 1/4 cup almond paste (found in most grocery stores)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, 17.3 oz., thawed
- 1 dry kidney bean
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper, and set aside.
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Place the almond paste into a food processor or blender with about half of the sugar, and process until well blended. Add the butter and remaining sugar using and process until smooth, then blend in 1 egg, vanilla extract, almond extract, flour, and salt. Set aside.
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Roll out one sheet of the puff pastry into an 11-inch square. Keep the pastry cool, do not knead or stretch. Just a few light rolls of the rolling pin will get the sheet to the size you need. Use a large plate or bowl to trace a circle onto the dough using the tip of a small knife.
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Cut away excess pastry. Place the circle of pastry onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry.
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Mound the almond filling onto the center of the pastry that is on the baking sheet. Leave about 1 1/2 inch margin at the edges. Press the bean or feve down into the filling.
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Place the second sheet of pastry on top, and using a fork press down the edges to seal. Beat the remaining egg with a fork, and lightly brush onto the top of the galette. Use a knife to make a criss-cross pattern in the pastry, and then poke several small cuts into the pastry to vent steam while baking.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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Let the imagination of your children pave the way for making a crown, remembering that absolutely anything will do! Lay the golden paper crown gently on top of the cake. This will be used to crown the person who finds the bean or feve! Serve warm or cold. Make sure to tell everyone about the bean or feve, and enjoy this very traditional French treat!
