Twelfth Night is the Eve of Epiphany, which means that tomorrow is Epiphany, or the Feast of the Magi. It is the day for celebrating the Three Kings' (you know, good old Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) arrival in Bethlehem to witness the manifestation of Christ.
Epiphany is not really celebrated much in this country. In fact, the Catholic Church celebrates it the Sunday before the 6th of January. Typically if Americans acknowledge it at all, it is more as the official end of the Christmas season; so get that damn tree out of my living room, already! Or something like that anyway.
That is apparently why we all must move to Europe — because they actually celebrate it. In fact, many countries (Spain, for instance) even give gifts, with parades and festivities of all sorts.
In France it is traditional to serve Galette des Rois; although I daresay it is also traditional to buy it from some superb fancy-pants bakery rather than make it yourself. You are supposed to place a small porcelain figure in the cake before you bake it, and whosoever finds it will have much luck throughout the coming year. (Same principle as the Mardi Gras King Cake, really.) Since we have no such porcelain figure (I really should look into getting one), I typically use a coffee bean. However, this year I abandoned the whole idea of putting anything in it. Emilia's gag-reflex is astonishing, so it probably isn't wise to knowingly insert a choking hazard.
It is also traditional in France for the bakery to give a paper crown for the new king to wear. At least that is what Adam Gopnik claims in his book The King in the Window. The opening scene takes place on Twelfth Night with a Galette des Rois. It is my favorite scene in the book.
As for the cake itself, it is divine. Although, it probably is not something that your 22-month-old will readily eat (she much prefers her tuptates and/or Fran's Chocolates). And it is probably not what I would choose to have after a big dinner very late at night, but it is still yummy, nonetheless. I prefer to have it the next day with tea. Or, even better, have it for breakfast with a demi-tasse while wishing you were somewhere in the Latin Quarter. Or perhaps giving gifts somewhere in the Andalusia. But alas, tis not to be.
The cake is actually very simple to make, but you will definitely need a Cuisinart. Also, make sure you pay attention to the recipe. When it says to add one egg at the beginning and use the second one later as an egg wash, that does not actually mean you should chuck them both in at once. Not that I've personally done that or anything. Also, I have finally learned to buy two packages of puff pastry. The fancy stuff I use only has one sheet in the package, annoying since it is rather expensive. But if you are going to go through the bother of making the cake, you may as well make sure you have enough of one of the key ingredients.
After the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool thoroughly so the top can sink back down a bit. Otherwise you have a huge dome of puff pastry over what is really a gorgeous cake. Another handy tip is that the cake is absolutely superb the next day.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
⅔ cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean, cut in half and split lengthwise
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
In a small, heavy saucepan heat the milk and vanilla bean over moderately high heat, until it begins to simmer. Meanwhile, is a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and cornstarch.
Once the milk is simmering, gradually pour it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and place it over medium heat. Cook for about a minute, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Do not overcook! Discard the vanilla bean and transfer to a small bowl.
Galette des Rois
⅔ cup blanched almonds, toasted and cooled
⅓ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 eggs
1 tablespoon dark rum
¼ teaspoon almond extract
vanilla pastry cream, cooled to room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 package (17 ¼ oz) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed to room temperature (The one I use is 14 oz per package, hence needing to buy two)
1 dried bean or a tiny porcelain figure
1 tablespoon milk
Preheat oven to 400° and place rack in the middle of the oven.
In a food processor, process the almonds, confectioners' sugar, and cornstarch, until finely ground together. (This is wicked loud, so probably not best to do during naptime.) Add 1 of the eggs, the rum, and the almond extract, and pulse until blended. Add the pastry cream and process just until blended. With the processor running, add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, and process until smooth. Set aside.
Now for the puff pastry. Cut a piece of wax paper into an 11 inch round disk. Lightly flour a surface and roll out your pastry sheets; one is the top and the other is the bottom. Place one of the rounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Pour the pastry mixture onto the center, spreading evenly and leaving about an inch border. Place the porcelain figure somewhere atop the cream. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg with a tablespoon milk. Brush it along the sides of the pastry. Carefully place the other pastry round on top and press the edges together. It doesn't hurt to try and make this look pretty; however, this can sometimes be impossible. Brush the top with the reaming egg wash. With a sharp knife, score the top into a diamond pattern. Be careful not to cut through it.
Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. (I now turn the oven down to 350° midway through the baking process. Our oven runs a little on the hot side, I've discovered.) Transfer to a rack and cook completely. Transfer to a serving plate and cut into wedges. (Recipe from: Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library, Holiday Baking. Time Life Books, 1995.)
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