Galette des Rois

The galette des rois (king cake) is the most important seasonal pastry in France — a puff-pastry-and-frangipane creation consumed throughout January to celebrate Epiphany (January 6), and the preparation that drives more bakery revenue in a single month than any other product in the French year. The Parisian galette des rois (the northern version, distinct from the Provençal brioche crown) consists of two discs of pâte feuilletée (puff pastry) enclosing a layer of frangipane — a cream made by combining equal parts crème pâtissière (pastry cream) and crème d'amande (almond cream: butter, sugar, ground almonds, eggs, in equal proportions by weight, beaten until light). A fève (originally a dried fava bean, now a ceramic or porcelain figurine) is hidden inside the frangipane. The galette is sealed, egg-washed, scored with a decorative pattern (rosace — the traditional curved-line pattern that allows steam to escape while creating a beautiful golden surface), and baked at 200°C for 30-35 minutes until deeply golden and dramatically puffed. The ritual: the youngest person at the table goes under the table (or turns away) and calls out the name of the person who should receive each slice as it is cut. Whoever finds the fève in their slice becomes king or queen for the day and wears a paper crown (always included with purchased galettes). The galette des rois is a pâtissier's benchmark — the quality of the puff pastry (crisp, shattering, with visible layers), the frangipane (moist, almond-rich, with the pastry cream adding moisture and complexity beyond plain almond cream), and the baking (deeply caramelized surface, no soggy bottom) reveal the baker's skill entirely. Every boulangerie-pâtisserie in Paris sells galettes throughout January, and the annual competition for the 'best galette' generates fierce rivalry.

• New Orleans king cake (brioche-based Mardi Gras)
• Spanish roscón de reyes (ring-shaped Epiphany cake)
• Portuguese bolo rei (fruit-studded king cake)
• Greek vasilopita (New Year's coin cake)