Galette des Rois OR King"s Cake

Galette des Rois

From the King's Cakes of New Orleans to the Rascon de Reyes of Spain, food-revelers don't stop at the flip of a calendar page. French revelers enjoy an almond-paste filled Galette des Rois at dinner parties from New Year's to Twelfth Night.

Ingredients:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup superfine sugar

1 1/4 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 medium eggs, divided

1 tablespoon dark rum

optional

1 tablespoon milk

13 ounces puff pastry

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

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Blend the butter, sugar and almonds in a food processor, then add the flour and lemon zest, 1 egg, and an egg white, plus the rum. This should yield a spreadable paste.

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Blend the remaining yolk with the milk to make an egg wash.

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Thinly roll out half the pastry to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut out a 10 inch circle. Spread the filling to within an inch of the edge. Optional, tuck a little figurine into the mixture.

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Roll out the second half of pastry 1 inch larger than the first circle. Brush the first circle's edges with egg wash. Lay the second circle on top. Press edges together, then trim neatly. Paint the pastry with egg wash, fold in the rim and paint it too. Mark the surface and the rim with the prongs of a fork in diagonal lines. Cut a slit in the top to allow steam to escape.

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Bake for 20 minutes until golden and risen. Let cool 15 minutes, then serve warm.