Veronique gave us her favorite cookies recipes adding some great tips to make them as tasty as they are beautiful. The tradition is to eat a Galette des Rois on the day of Epiphany but nowadays we eat it during the whole of January. This year, Epiphany is on Sunday, January 6, 2019.

The tradition is to put a “feve” a “broad bean” or little trinket, more often a little figurine, in the filling.

For 6 persons

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 puff pastry of 400g/14.1 oz per pie (half of the puff)

For the pear-chocolate cake:

100g /3.5 oz of dark chocolate or milk Côte d’Or or find an American equivalent (60% or 80% cocoa)

6 pears cooked in pieces

1 small trinket or figurine

For the galette with almond cream:

120g / 4.2 oz of ground almonds

90g / 3.1 oz of butter

90g / 3.1 oz of powdered sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons rum

½ teaspoon bitter almond extract

1 small trinket or figurine

To decorate:

1 egg


INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare one of the garnishes listed above

For the pear-chocolate galette, slice the pears and grate the chocolate.

For the almond cream galette: Ground the almonds (for a finer almond cream, ground almonds to flour like using a mixer), add sugar and the vanilla sugar. Melt the butter. Stir in the dry mixture. Add the egg and pour the rum. Set aside until ready to use.


Roll the dough into two 10.2-inch diameter discs. Place the first disc on the oven tray covered with a sheet of parchment paper. Brush the edge with the egg yolk stirred in 1 tablespoon of water.

Lay the pear slices and cover with grated chocolate or almond cream on the dough. Place the small trinket or figurine (or fava bean) over the filling and cover it with the second dough disc.

To give a nice golden shine to your galette brush the surface with the egg yolk—not too close to the edge to avoid the dough from sticking to the parchment paper. Using a knife, make some curved indentation in the dough. Reserve the galette in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking—this will the galette keeps its shape.

Preheat your oven to 392°F. Bake the galette during 25 min. Lower the temperature to 356°F and continue to bake it for 10 minutes.

Véronique’s own little secrets:

• Cut the discs using a crenellated mold with a sharp edge (classic pie plate). It looks very pretty, and it cuts perfectly.

• I stick both discs in water leaving 0.4in of margin on the outside so that the edge develops well.

• dilute the egg yolk with a tiny bit of water. Apply and let “dry” in the fridge for 15 min (until a more matte appearance) before making the drawings.

• 5 min before the end of the cooking, brush the top with a syrup of sugar or maple syrup. It will give a beautiful glossy shine to your galette as if it was coming straight from the bakery.

Almond powder is found at Trader Joe’s (almond flour), PCC, PFI, it can be found in bulk as well (wich allow you to buy the exact quantity needed)

Bitter almond and vanilla extract are found in most supermarket, PCC, QFC or PFI.

At Uwajimaya, PCC, PFI, you can find excellent puff pastry, “White Toque” or other brands.

These recipes are truly delicious, enjoy!