Galette du Rois

Ingredients

• 400g ready-made puff pastry
• 1 egg yolk for glazing

For the almond cream:

• 100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100g icing sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp dark rum, or cognac

Method

1. Roll out pastry, and cut a 25cm diameter circle. Re-roll and cut another 27cm diameter circle. 
2. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
3. To make the almond cream, beat the soft butter and sugar to a cream, slowly add the  beaten egg and egg yolk alternately with spoons of the ground almonds, then adding  the rum. Mix till you have a smooth texture, then set aside in the fridge until the pastry has rested.
4. To make the galette, place the pastry base onto a plate. Spoon the almond cream into the centre of the puff pastry. With a palette knife spread the cream into an even circle leaving a 2cm gap from the edge. Now carefully place your ‘figurines’ or beans into the almond filling.
5. Brush some of the beaten egg mixture around the edge and carefully drape the top circle neatly over the almond cream. Press gently to expel any air bubbles and using your thumb seal the pastry all around the edge.
6. Chill the galette in the fridge or freezer for one hour to firm up the pastry.
7. Place a heavy baking tray in the preheated oven 180°C.
8. When the galette has chilled, remove it from the fridge. Crimp the outside edge of the pastry. Brush the galette with the beaten egg yolk. With the side of a fork or blunt edge of a knife, start from the centre and score a spiral right up to the edge of the pastry. Repeat this to achieve an attractive design (or simply criss-cross the top of the galette.)
9. Transfer the galette to a thin baking tray which you place on the tray heated in the oven. Bake for 45 mins.
10. Leave it to rest for five mins before serving in slices warm or cold.