Galette De Rois – King Cake With a Crown!
I’m obsessed with a local French bakery. Their various types of croissants are so delicious! I saw a pastry I haven’t seen before early January, and I asked what it was. They told me it’s a puff pastry with marzipan / almond paste inside. Sold. Bought a small one for around $20 or so and tried it. Delicious!
Where’s the Crown?
The pastry is a galette de rois, aka a French King Cake. I saw another customer order one, and they asked them if they wanted the crown. The customer said yes and the cashier gave the customer a paper golden crown. Hey, where was mine? Perhaps I didn’t know what it was, so I didn’t get offered a crown.
Galette De Rois
These are typically enjoyed in early January, the first Sunday of January or the closest Sunday to Epiphany, the arrival of the Three Kings to baby Jesus or something. It’s really big in France, perhaps bigger than what our typical king cakes are around here. The pastry is a butter pastry, similar to a puff pastry or croissant, filled with an almond base such as frangipane. There’s usually a feve in there, which is a small token, such as a baby Jesus in king cakes.
The Taste and the Texture
It wasn’t as almond-y as I thought it would be. The filling was lightly sweetened and it reminded me a bit of egg custard flavor to some extent. The galette de rois was still delicious though. Croissant / butter-pastry is soooo good, especially when slightly warm and when it has the slight crunch to it. Below are some photos of the inside!
Would I Try Again?
I enjoyed this galette de rois, but it may have been more enjoyable if they gave me a crown. The kids may have enjoyed that extra touch. I learned there are many types of king cakes, depending on the region. Yay, more pastries for me to try! Perhaps I’ll search for more of these next year and try out different bakeries that may offer them.
