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Recipe follows 😉

What is the Galette des Rois?

The traditional version is a round, flat pastry made of puff pastry and filled with frangipane, a rich almond cream. In France you can find it in every bakery from early January until the end of the month. In recent years, many bakeries have started offering insolite flavors. You can now find galettes filled with: Praline  (a sweet paste made from caramelized nuts, often almonds or hazelnuts) typically from Lyon, pistachio cream or even Chocolate, apple, or other seasonal flavors.

Hard choice 😊

When and why it’s eaten

The galette is traditionally eaten on Epiphany (January 6th – a very special day for my family). Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings – Los Reyes (les “Rois”) to see the baby Jesus. In practice however, the French enjoy it throughout January with family, friends, and even coworkers.

At home we reserve the galette for a weekend treat .. 😋 5 weekends in January !

The first galette of 2026

This year we are ending the holiday celebrations with friends and trying three different galettes – from the top rated pâtisserie Flochon in Lyon https://patissier-chocolatier-lyon.fr

They were all delicious however this year maybe the pistachio and praline were queen…..

The hidden charm: la fève hidden between cream, pistachios, almonds……

always inside the galette is this small object called a fève (originally a dried bean, now a tiny porcelain figurine); Flochon this year has an animal series.; we found a penguin and a pink fish 🥳`

Here is the tradition :

• The youngest person sits under the table and randomly assigns each slice.
• Whoever finds the fève in their slice becomes king or queen for the day.
• They wear a paper crown (usually provided by the bakery)
• Tradition says they must buy the next galette, this is a very flexible option!

One Important etiquette tip for tourists

• Don’t bite too hard—the fève is solid!
• If you find it in a public setting, it’s polite to announce it rather than keep it secret.

Here’s a simple and classic recipe for a French frangipane galette des rois 👑

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 100 g (1 cup) ground almonds
• 80 g (⅓ cup) sugar
• 80 g (⅓ cup) soft butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or rum (optional)
• 1 fève (or a whole almond)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2. In a bowl, mix the soft butter and sugar until creamy.
3. Add 1 egg, then the ground almonds and vanilla (or rum). Mix well — this is the frangipane.
4. Place one sheet of puff pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Spread the frangipane in the center, leaving a 2 cm / 1-inch border. Hide the fève in the filling 😉
6. Lightly brush the border with water, then cover with the second pastry sheet. Press the edges to seal.
7. Beat the second egg and brush it over the top.
8. Score a pattern on top with a knife (don’t cut all the way through).
9. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown.

Let the galette rest for 10 minutes before serving — it tastes even better warm 🧡

Bake, share, crown a king or queen — and enjoy every flaky bite.