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    Home • Recipes • Classic French Dishes

    Galette des Rois (French King Cake)

    Published: Jan 6, 2023 · Modified: Mar 8, 2023 by Jill Colonna40 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Recipe for the French galette des rois served at Epiphany in France, with a pistachio and chocolate twist to the classic frangipane. Extract and adapted basic recipe from my second book, Teatime in Paris! Don't forget to hide the trinket inside and have a crown or two ready for the winning King and Queen.

    slice of galette des rois filled with pistachio and chocolate

    What is Special about A Galette des Rois?

    What I love about living in Paris is that the party continues after the festive season, food-wise. Just when the decorations officially come down, there's something special to look forward to. Officially as of Epiphany on 6th January, suddenly the Pâtisserie windows are filled with Galettes des rois - which in English, is simply King Cake. Although these days we see them around Christmas and up until the end of January when we are rather saturated with them.

    I love trying the top ones for inspiration around Paris - see most of the best  galettes des Rois in Paris.

    However, I also love to make my own.  Not only is it cheaper but it means we can generously fill it. Personally, I'm not keen on galettes that are mainly pastry with very little frangipane; I love them well garnished!

    What's more, it means we get to pick our own trinkets (French 'fèves'). This is just Lucie's own collection of trinkets which represents rather a lot of successful galettes where she was Queen for a day!

    Being a lazy gourmet, I use store-bought puff pastry (always choose pur beurre, the full butter version, which is better quality than plain puff.) Even better, ask/reserve good quality puff pastry from your local baker; in France we can ask politely for some, as normally you're supposed to be buying the galettes!

    collection of French trinkets that are found in the galette des rois
    Lucie's collection of trinkets she won in years' worth of galettes des rois - was it rigged, I wonder?

    Galette des Rois Tradition

    The Galette des Rois (or King's Cake in English) is traditionally served at Epiphany and is said to have taken its name from the three wise men.

    It's not a cake as such but more of a giant puff pastry sandwich filled with frangipane (almond cream added to pastry cream) with a trinket hidden inside to crown a King or Queen, whoever gets it in their slice.

    In this recipe, the classic frangipane is replaced by an almond and pistachio cream topped with some dark chocolate.

    galette des rois French cake in front of a creche for epiphany

    What Does Galette des Rois Taste Like?

    The traditional French Galette des Rois normally tastes of almond, as it's usually made just with almonds for a frangipane filling. This pistachio version is just has an extra pistachio flavour to it with added chocolate. Together with the puff pastry as a crispy exterior, it's quite filling but ever so satisfying.

    Normally we serve this at goûter time (teatime) or dessert with French cidre from Normandy or Brittany (either Brut/dry or Doux/sweet) and with sparkling apple juice for the children.

    Galette Flavours

    Experiment with more flavours. This one is almond, pistachio and chocolate. However, based on the same recipe, make it with cherries instead of chocolate, hazelnuts and chocolate, pear etc.

    All our family variations are in my book, Teatime in Paris.

    What is the Ritual When Eating La Galette des Rois?

    La Galette des Rois is usually enjoyed as one big King Cake and contains a fève or trinket. So that there is no cheating as to who gets the trinket when cutting the galette, there is a particular ritual.

    Tradition in France is that the youngest person in the room sits under the table. They shout out, one by one, each person's name in the room as the galette is cut by an 'older and wiser' person above. The person who gets the slice with the trinket nestling inside their part wears the crown and is then King (or Queen) for the day.

    Sometimes in the chic pâtisseries, you're given two crowns. That way a King can choose a Queen to accompany him/her and vice versa.

    two golden puff pastry galettes with crowns

    Galette des Rois Recipe with Almond Pistachio Paste and Chocolate

    • First prepare the almond paste (with the pistachio - or simply extra almonds for a traditional frangipane almond cream);
    • Mix all the ingredients together and spread it evenly on to the first circle of puff pastry;

    4 steps making pistachio almond cream and spreading on a circle of puff pastry

    • Spread the mixture evenly, leaving about a couple of centimetres at the border;
    • Insert the trinket (known as the fève) in the paste, towards the outside near the border. If a big galette and a few people, then I like to add a second trinket;
    • Place the chocolate chips on top of the cream;

    pressing down the second circle of puff pastry over the first covered in almond and pistachio cream

    • Top with the second circle of puff pastry. Press in from the border to seal off any air bubbles around the filling. See in much more detail in the printable recipe card below.
    • Once the border is well sealed, make indents with the blunt edge of the knife.

    sealing the puff pastry border with indents and glaze with egg yolk

    • Brush with egg yolk and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

    Ideas to Decorate a Galette des Rois

    Decorate the galette with the back of a knife when the puff pastry is glazed and chilled first.

    decorating glazed puff pastry with the back of a knife

    Either make a sun-ray effect (this is popular in pâtisseries), simple criss-crosses or be more original with your own creativity. This one below was done by my daughter, Lucie.

    decorating a king cake with a knife

    Decorating a galette des rois is up to your creativity (use the blunt end of knife).

    shiny browned decorated galette des rois with a gold paper crown on top

    slice of puff pastry cake filled with pistachio and almond with a little trinket hidden inside
    spot the trinket?
    slice of galette des rois filled with pistachio and chocolate

    Galette des Rois

    Jill Colonna
    Recipe for the classic French galette des rois served around Epiphany in France, with a chocolate and pistachio twist. Extract and recipe adapted from my second book, Teatime in Paris! Don't forget to hide the trinket inside and have a crown or two ready for the winning King and Queen.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Chilling Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine French
    Servings 10 people

    Ingredients
      

    Almond cream filling:

    • 140 g (5oz) unsalted butter softened
    • 100 g (3½oz) ground almonds (almond flour)
    • 50 g (2oz) ground pistachios (or more almonds for the classic)
    • 115 g (4oz) caster sugar (superfine)
    • 2 eggs organic
    • 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
    • 1 tablespoon Kirsch liqueur or rum
    • 30 g (1oz) dark chocolate chips
    • 600 g (or 2 packs of 230g circles) ready-made puff pastry (pure butter) cut into 2 circles

    glaze:

    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 teaspoon water

    Traditional extras

    • 1 trinket
    • 1-2 paper crowns (or find a real one!)

    Instructions
     

    Almond & Pistachio Cream

    • Cream the softened butter in a large bowl then gradually add all the other ingredients and mix together well to form a smooth cream.
    • Place the first pastry circle on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment. Spread the almond and pistachio mix evenly on top, leaving a space of 2-3 cm (1 ¼") as a border.
    • Insert the porcelaine trinket well into the almond cream towards the edge of the galette (to avoid the slicer slicing into it) and top evenly with the chocolate chips.
    • Place the second puff pastry circle on top and seal the outside edges, ensuring there are no air bubbles. You'll be left with the top circle slightly smaller than the bottom so, using a sharp knife, cut off the surplus pastry, sealing thoroughly all the way around the galette.
    • Now go around the galette's border and, using the blunt side of a knife and keeping it straight, make tiny indentations to perfectly seal the pastry's edges.
      Brush the top of the pastry with the egg yolk and water glaze. 
    • For best results, chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes (optional but helps the decor about to be done stay intact).
    • Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/360°F/gas 4.
    • Again, using the blunt side of the knife, carefully score a sun-ray or criss-cross pattern by cutting gently into the pastry, but not too much that you cut right through the pastry. Pierce 4 or 5 little holes in the pastry, so that air can escape.
      Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

    Notes

    Serve warm with cider.  
    Variations:
    • To make the classic galette des rois, just omit the chocolate and replace the pistachios with more ground almonds/almond flour.
    • Replace the pistachios with ground hazelnuts;
    • Add sliced fresh or tinned pear, or with a few boozy cherries as I show in my recipe book, 'Teatime in Paris'.
    Keyword galette des rois, king cake

     

    You can find my recipe (including detailed step-by-step instructions) for Pistachio and Griotte Cherry Galette des Rois and many more galette des rois variations in my 2nd recipe book, Teatime in Paris: A Walk Through Easy French Pâtisserie Recipes - as well as many more French recipes.

    This post was first published 8 January 2013 but is now completely updated.

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    Jill Colonna standing in a French patisserie lab holding a giant whisk over an oversized mixer bowl

    Meet Jill Colonna

    Jill is both Scottish and French and author of the book and blog, Mad About Macarons since 2010. Here she shares over 30 years of experience of living the healthy food life with her French family in Paris - via easy recipes and local food guides in France.

    More about Jill

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    1. Christina

      February 05, 2023 at 6:46 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for the delicious recipe and the information on how to serve it. It's so good, as well as a lovely tradition to carry on!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        February 05, 2023 at 12:51 pm

        Thanks Christina. Here's also to continuing sweet family traditions!

        Reply
    2. Lucie

      February 02, 2023 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      Your recipe is the best mum, I would kill to have a slice right now (even without winning the fève)!

      Reply
      • Jill Colonna

        February 02, 2023 at 7:07 pm

        Awe - thanks Lucie. We have to put more fèves in next time, as I've bought more for your collection. The boulangeries are particularly generous in their choices of buying them separately this year!

        Reply
    3. Lora

      January 21, 2013 at 1:26 am

      I love the trinkets! I baked so many things this holiday season to keep up with parties and entertaining and photographed none of it. So you are way ahead of me. A belated Happy New Year!

      Reply
      • Jill

        February 07, 2013 at 7:28 pm

        I don't know how you do it, Lora! At least you'll have a cleaner camera. Mine is covered in food - time to change in 2013. Er, cleaner camera fingers or the camera, lol. Happy 2013 to you, too!

        Reply
    4. Purabi Naha

      January 16, 2013 at 8:24 pm

      Those trinkets are so cute! I loved this unique galette recipe. Truly, your blog looks stunning and the pictures look droolworthy all the time. I am in no way going to quit desserts after seeing such a delectable spread!

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 17, 2013 at 11:20 am

        Awe - thanks Purabi. It's you that's the sweetie!

        Reply
    5. Gerry @ Foodness Gracious

      January 15, 2013 at 2:23 am

      Happy new year Ma'm! I see some profiteroles...a favorite of mine!

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 17, 2013 at 11:20 am

        Ma'm - Mad About Macarons. Love it, Gerry 😉

        Reply
    6. Hester @ Alchemy in the Kitchen

      January 14, 2013 at 9:47 pm

      Dunno where my comment went ... what I was saying was "A meringue or am I right?" It took me a minute before the giggle kicked in. You are a hoot! Love your photo journal of distractions over Christmas and this is a gorgeous Galette des Rois - great frangipane filling. Will definitely include amaretto - yuuuuum!

      p.s. Thanks for the g+ - just getting the hang of this technology.

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 17, 2013 at 11:19 am

        Hehe - glad someone got it, Hester!

        Reply
    7. Becky

      January 12, 2013 at 4:04 pm

      Jill,
      Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday, "unplugged", and baking like crazy.

      I didn't know how the French celebrated Mardi Gras. I love the galette, with the almond cream filling. I have to try this one. I have made the yeast version of the King Cake before.

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 13, 2013 at 1:32 pm

        Interesting, Becky. Yes, I see that mardi gras (n New Orleans, e.g.) they have the King Cake too but not the same as this French one for Epiphany stuffed with frangipane or almond cream.

        Reply
    8. parisbreakfast

      January 12, 2013 at 9:59 am

      Must remember not to stop by BEFORE breakfast, especially being in Paris which is comparable to being in the middle of a sugar landmine field...
      Faites Attention!
      Love your local feves by the way

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 13, 2013 at 1:30 pm

        Posh fèves, eh, Carol? Aha - I remember that feeling well first in Paris when the pastry shops were all just, well, beckoning... courage!

        Reply
    9. Ann

      January 12, 2013 at 2:06 am

      Now that I know how easy it is to make a galette des rois, I'm never buying one again. The boulangeries of Paris are cursing you, Jill... 😉

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 13, 2013 at 1:30 pm

        Hehe. Thanks, Ann - I know I should make my own puff pastry too but I'm too much a lazy gourmet for that part. Made another one and just about to devour it. It makes this one look silly since I found out why my pastry was puffing up too much in the middle...

        Reply
    10. Nami | Just One Cookbook

      January 11, 2013 at 8:13 pm

      Happy New Year Jill! (if not too late to say...) Whoa! You have been baking so much! It's great that you were serious about testing out recipes... hopefully we'll see these recipes this year? I was offline for a week, but I caught a cold. When I do something that I'm not used to do, something like this happens! j/k Looking forward to your posts this year! xoxo

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 13, 2013 at 1:28 pm

        Nami, in France people say this until end January and even still send cards! Never too late - thanks for popping by and look after that cold.

        Reply
    11. Mum

      January 11, 2013 at 5:23 pm

      Your dad and I loved the blog!!

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 13, 2013 at 1:27 pm

        Awe - thanks, Mum. Means a lot you dropped in!

        Reply
    12. Mardi (eat. live. travel. write)

      January 10, 2013 at 12:44 pm

      ONE DAY. ONE DAY I will make my own Galette des Rois. It always coincides with back to school and generally coming back from a trip (this year, Burma and lots of jetlag to go with that) so I never get around to it and have to live vicriously though others. Happy New year Jill and Bonne Santé XOX

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 10, 2013 at 7:43 pm

        Oh, you jet-setters who don't make galettes, honestly 😉
        Happy, healthy 2013 to you too, Mardi. xo

        Reply
    13. Kim - Liv Life

      January 10, 2013 at 6:41 am

      Happy New Year from your BFF on the other side of the world!! You have certainly been baking busy, haven't you?? I sort of did the same thing myself and spent days in the kitchen, but didn't take a photo. Well, Instagram, but nothing real. I'm eager to see about your brioche! One of my all time favorites, but one that I don't make too often due to a few extra calories that seem to hang on around my middle a little more often lately.
      Love the pics of the girls! Happy 2013!! L

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 10, 2013 at 7:42 pm

        Awe - thanks for that, Kim. Happy 2013 to you too, my sunny, bubbly Californian friend. Oh, Instagram. I have that downloaded but I don't use it - hate the out of focus photos but I hear it's fun. Yet another distraction, eh? Brioche calories? Och no!

        Reply
    14. Jean-Pierre

      January 10, 2013 at 12:05 am

      Right. That does it. Can we go shopping together next time I'm in Paris? I need these feves for an excuse to make my own galette, Jill!

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 10, 2013 at 7:40 pm

        Too funny, Jean-Pierre. Let me know when you're next around and I'll point you in the dainty porcelain directions.

        Reply
    15. Thomasina

      January 09, 2013 at 8:17 pm

      I love all the photos Jill. Great idea the French have making galettes just after the festive season when everything is usually doom and gloom. I love the Venetian ornaments - what a surprise it would be to find one in a galette!

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 10, 2013 at 7:39 pm

        It is great fun indeed, thanks Thomasina. We're making it last a lot longer than just Epiphany here!

        Reply
    16. Lucie

      January 09, 2013 at 3:56 pm

      Mum,
      could you remake those scrumptious crêpes, meringues that succulent roasted duck and fish à la viennoise please! I ADORED it!
      Lucie 😉

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 09, 2013 at 4:35 pm

        Thanks for that, darling. Of course I'll make them again with sweet words like that - who could resist?

        Reply
    17. Liz

      January 09, 2013 at 3:32 pm

      Oh, how nice to unplug from the computer...I need to try that...and soon!!! I'm sure you and your family had a delicious holiday!I need to put your stunning Galette des Roi on my bucket list...yours is picture perfect, Jill!!! Happy New Year!

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 09, 2013 at 4:33 pm

        I don't know how you do it, Liz, but I would thoroughly recommend a wee break from ze screen. Bucket list? Love it.

        Reply
    18. Stella

      January 09, 2013 at 3:24 pm

      Thank you Jill for your visit over to my blog. Your comments were really appreciated, and happily it has lead me to discover your blog which is amazing! For a confirmed francophile like me, your page is such a find! I love Paris, I love France and I love macarons! I will be back to try some of your recipes. Best wishes.

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 09, 2013 at 4:31 pm

        Lovely to discover you too today, Stella, and to hear we have so many Frenchie loves in common!

        Reply
    19. Pauline

      January 08, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      well you're ahead of me still Jill , Happy New Year ! I do like the sound of this with rum and you say serve with cider. That is real cider n'est pas ?

      Reply
      • Jill

        January 08, 2013 at 8:04 pm

        Yep, serve with real cider or Cidre from Normandy. Oo-ahr. Happy 2013, Pauline.

        Reply
    20. Jill

      January 08, 2013 at 7:59 pm

      Hi Jamie! Great to hear from you and thanks for your lovely wishes. Yep, galettes, galettes - I can eat them every day until I'm so sick of them I won't miss them until January 2014 😉 Stay tuned, the recipes will come out on le blog and many more are in the next book...

      Reply
    21. Jamie

      January 08, 2013 at 6:12 pm

      Happy New Year, Jill! I have been going crazy making my galette... I love making them and eating them. I will have to try your filling since I've not yet made frangipane this year. But all of your desserts in your photos! Stunning! When will we discover them on your blog with the recipes???

      Wishing you and your family a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013!

      Reply

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