Monday, January 11, 2010

Petite Galette des Rois

Little king cakes have filled my house with the sweet scent of almond paste, and even though Epiphany Day has already passed, I think these flaky treats are still worth the time it takes to put them together.
To create six miniature sized galette des rois, I rolled out two pounds of puff dough and cut 12 circles with a standard size brioche mold, and then made the almond filling following this recipe:
2 oz. Butter
2 oz. Almond Paste
1/4 c. Powdered Sugar
Pinch Salt
2 Eggs
Mix the butter, almond paste, powdered sugar and salt until it is completely incorporated, and then gradually add in the egg, making sure to scrape down the sides. Let it mix until it comes back together, and set aside. With six of the circles evenly placed on the baking sheet, and six set aside, gently apply roughly 2 tablespoons of the almond paste to the center of each cut-out, leaving just about one inch of space along the edge.
Make an egg wash (1 egg yolk, 1 oz. milk, & a pinch of salt) and gently brush the edges, making sure that you don't get too close to the almond paste. Place the remaining circles on top of each base to sandwich the almond paste, and gently press together the edges, making sure that you don't push the almond paste into the egg wash. Get the two pieces of dough to stick together by firmly pressing down with the tip of your finger and then use a dull blade to create a seam along the edge. It is crucial that the dough is joined together so that the almond paste doesn't seep out when baking.
Let the cakes firm in the freezer for a couple minutes and then with a paring knife, carve a design onto the top, making sure not to cut entirely through the layer of dough. Egg wash the top, and then bake at 375 degrees for around 25-35 minutes. When the cakes are a golden brown color, they are done baking.
I spent a fair amount of time making the puff pastry dough from scratch, but store bought dough, found in the freezer section of most grocery stores, should work fine. If at any point your dough feels too soft to work with, place it in the freezer for a couple minutes until it is firm yet pliable. And if you need a little inspiration to make one of these delicious confections, I suggest checking out these beauties.

1 comment:

Just Ma said...

Love the Blog today. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, pictures, and information.
M.