How to make a galette des rois or king's cake

Here's all the ingredients ready to go

Sugar, salt, softened butter and almond paste ready to be creamed with the hand mixer

Creaming the butter etc

Once creamy, add the egg yolks

And the vanilla and beat again until creamy

Add flours and beat into mixture

And here's what it looks like before placing in pastry

Roll puff pastry to 11 inches or so

Mark with large dish to cut into circle

Here's the mark to cut on. If on a pastry mat, don't use a sharp knife!

Here's the base. Transfer to parchment lined cookie sheet

Take the second puff pastry and roll out slightly larger than first one to provide overlap

Add creamed almond paste mixture on the first puff pastry evenly, leaving at least a half inch around the edge to join with top on next step

Ohh how cute! Don't forget to add the "feve" which is the little surprise found in King's Cake in France. You can use a clean coin or even a hard bean

Whatever you choose, place it in the creamed almond mixture

From the remaining scraps of dough, cut out designs to lay on top of cake I cut out the year 2013 and some hearts. You can use cookie cutters too

Place the second pastry on top of the creamed almond mixture after wetting the 1/2 inch margin with water with your index finger.

Unfold carefully

It should look like this

Press the edges together with a fork to ensure it seals to bottom layer

Add your cutout decorations

Mix egg yolk and water

And spread gently across the top of the galette You can use some of the egg yolk to stick down the decorations

It should look like this, place in the oven preheated to 400F for 30/35 minutes.

It will puff up in the oven and come out toasty brown.

Happy new year!