Recipes King's Cake: La Galette aux pommes

Do you know
the Galette des Rois?

Traditionally served in January, the Galette des rois (also known as King’s Cake) is not only a simple dessert, but a quintessential part of French Christmas cuisine. But the ingredients, taste and appearance of this cake can vary tremendously depending on the region you’re from.

The dominant version of the Galette, which you will find in Paris and northern regions, is a golden, sun-shaped cake made of puff pastry (the same dough used to make croissants) and frangipane – a sweet almond custard. In Provence (the south), it is called Gâteau des rois and is a ring-shaped brioche, a light and fluffy bread with a slightly sweet taste.

It truly makes for a royal treat for everyone in the house. Let’s party!

A simple and easy recipe of the Galette des rois aux pommes,
or Epiphany Apple Pie

PREPARATION TIME
2,5 hours

COOKING TIME
55 minutes

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 PEOPLE:

A tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 kg apple

500 g puff pastry

(take this recipe, it is very well
explained and delicious)

5 spoons of powdered sugars

1 egg yolk mixed with a little milk

1 ArtFun porcelaine fève !

Peel three quarters of the apples (500 g peeled fruit) and cut into small pieces.

Add the apples to a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon, cover and leave to simmer over a low heat for 25 minutes (to prevent the applesauce from burning initially, you can add a tablespoon of water).

Remove the lid and reduce for a few minutes over medium heat to drain off the excess liquid, stirring well to avoid burning (be careful, it happens very quickly: don't go off looking at your phone!)

Leave the sauce to cool for a few hours.

Roll out half the puff pastry and line a buttered and floured baking tray. You can make your own puff pastry or buy it from your favourite baker.

Mix a spoonful of sugar and a spoonful of flour and spread it on the puff pastry base.

Spread the applesauce, add the ArtFun porcelain fève and place the remaining apples (peeled and cut into strips) on top.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the apples and close it with the second layer of puff pastry.

Using the back of a knife, make a decorative incision on top to let the steam escape during cooking.

Place in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes (for the first five minutes you can place the cake tray directly on the oven floor to sear the puff pastry underneath, but then place the cake on a rack halfway up the oven).