La Galette des Rois

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="0c0fd5a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Gites at La Vergne</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gites at La Vergne"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <B>La Galette des Rois</B>   |   <A HREF="_les_cocktails.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Les cocktails"> Les cocktails</A>   |   <A HREF="les_recettes_de_la_cagouille.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Les Recettes de la Cagouille">Les Recettes de la Cagouille</A>   |   <A HREF="escalope_de_foie_gras_au_pineau.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Escalope de foie gras au Pineau">Escalope de foie gras au Pineau</A>   |   <A HREF="canard_roti_aux_figues_et_coings_confits_aux_epices.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Canard rôti aux figues et coings confits">Canard rôti aux figues et coings confits aux épices et Pineau des Charentes</A>   |   <A HREF="mousseline_glacee_charentaise.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mousseline glacée Charentaise">Mousseline glacée Charentaise</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=247 style="border-right: 3px solid #000000;" BGCOLOR="#FFFF66" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="mailto:gite@amarsh.claranet.fr" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:gite@amarsh.claranet.fr"><IMG SRC="114cd890.jpg" border=0 width="205" height="137" ALT="Gites at La Vergne Logo" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> <div> Click photo to contact us</div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=310 width="100%" colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>La Galette des Rois</I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="603" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 267 WIDTH="595"><div> The feast of Epiphinay or the arrival of the three kings on twelth night is celebrated in a ceremony called "Tirer les Rois".</div> <div> Last Sunday we were invited to such a ceremony, as a group of friends and family we were able  to sample a Galette des Rois and sip a glass of desert wine. There was much amusement as each peson searched inside their slice for the little "fève". Originally a broad bean but nowadays a tiny figurine made out of porcelain. Whoever finds the the "fève" is the King or Queen and is duly crowned with a shiny, gold paper crown  supplied with the gallete by the patisserie. To be fare the youngest member of the party was told to disapear under the table and called out the name of the recipient.  The King  then chose a partner and that person was  crowned as his Queen. Traditionally the whole procedure should start all over again, this time hosted by the the King or Queen who will buy the next gallete.  So this can continue all through January with the gallete being bought by a different king or queen each time. </div> <div> Bon appetit & Bonne Année!</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 300 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="249c2260.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="294" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="603" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="595"><div> <B>La Galette des Rois</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 56 WIDTH="296"><div> 400g frozen puff pastry</div> <div> 1 Small egg yolk</div> <div> 1 tablespoon milk</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="296"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="56" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="296" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 75 WIDTH="296"><div> <B>Filling</B></div> <div> 150g ground almonds</div> <div> 100g sugar</div> <div> 2 meduim eggs</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="296"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="75" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="296" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 94 WIDTH="296"><div> <B>To Glaze</B></div> <div> 50g sugar</div> <div> 50g ground almonds</div> <div> egg white</div> <div> icing sugar</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="296"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="94" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="296" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 114 WIDTH="595"><div> Heat oven to 200°C  400°F Gas mark 6. Place a baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven.</div> <div> Take the pastry out of freezer and leave to stand for 1 hour. Divide into two parts one slightly bigger than the other. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 5mm. Cut out two circles one measuring 23cm and the other 24cm in diameter. Slide the larger cirlce on to a floured piece of baking parchment paper.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 38 ><NOBR><div> <B>To make fillling</B>:</div> <div> Mix the ground almonds, sugar  and eggs to a smooth paste and leave on one side.</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 133 WIDTH="595"><div> Beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush around around the edge of the larger circle in a band of 1cm. Pile the almond filling in the centre and place smaller piece of pastry on top.Then  fold the brushed edge over on to it, seaing the two together. Press down this edge with the side of your hand. </div> <div> Cover a round bread board with foil and hold it closely over the cake, with both hands, gather up the floured paper against it and invert quickly, turning the cake onto the foil. The larger circle is now on top. Press down the outer edge once more</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 190 WIDTH="595"><div> <B>To make Glaze</B>:</div> <div> Mix the ground almonds with the sugar and unbeaten egg white, spread over the cake with a metal spatula. Sprinkle liberally with the icing sugar. Then with a pointed knife held flat, lightly score through the glaze starting at the centre, mark into twelve segments. Slide the foil and  cake onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until well risen. Increase the heat to 220°C, 425°F, gas mark 7 and bake for a further 10 minutes until cakes rises into a golden mound. Reduce the heat again to 200°C, 400°F, gas mark 6 and finish cooking for a further 10 to 25 minutes until the bottom crust is baked. Allow to cool on a rack and dust with icing sugar before serving.</div> <div> This cake should be served fresh on the day that it is made</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0b7fa591dkelyh.jpg"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>