Ingredients
1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed in refrigerator
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2/3 cup ground blanched almonds
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 pinch salt
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Directions
Preheat oven to 450F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
In the work bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter, eggs, blanched almonds, flour, sugar, almond extract and salt.
On a slightly floured cold surface, roll out your puff pastry (to even out the seams). Cut 2 circles the size of dinner plates out of the puff pastry. Put one of them on the baking sheet. Brush one inch around the edge of the circle with egg wash (beaten egg yolk). Spread over the apricot jam to the edge of the egg wash, and then spread over the almond cream. Place the second circle on top matching the edges of the circles. Press all around the edges to glue them together. Press softly in the center to evenly spread the filling.
Decorate the galette with a fork, press edges together all around. With the point of a knife, make any kind of design being careful not to go all the way through the puff pastry. Brush the surface with egg wash being careful no to get any on the sides.
Bake the galette in the center of a preheated 450F oven for 15 minutes then lower the temperature to 350F for 30 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, sprinkle with powdered sugar and bake until golden brown. Serve warm.
For the tradition of Epiphany, cut the galette in as many parts as people in the party. In one of them, insert a little ceramic toy (big enough to prevent swallowing). In the old days, they used a dried fava bean, so to this day it is still called “la feve.” Everyone picks a piece of galette the one who discovers the toy is made the king of the day and wears the crown. He picks a queen by putting the toy in her glass and everyone raises his or her glass and applauds. Same process in reverse if a lady finds the toy. Tradition says that the next party should be at the king’s expense.
I, of course, skipped this bit because it’s just me and I am always a queen in my own little world!
