Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, plus 1 more, beaten, for glazing
1 cup ground almonds
1 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp brandy, rum, or milk
all-purpose flour, for dusting
1lb 2oz (500g) store-bought all-butter puff pastry,

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a bowl with an electric hand mixer, or in an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter.
Beat in the egg.

2 Mix in the ground almonds, almond extract, and rum, brandy, or milk, to make a thick paste.

3 On a well-floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a 20 x 10in (50 x 25cm) rectangle. The measurements do not have to be exact, but the pastry should be 1⁄8–1⁄4in (3–5mm) thick.

4 Fold the pastry in half and use a 10in (25cm) dinner plate or similar to cut out 2 disks.

5 Lay 1 disk out on a non-stick baking sheet. Use a little beaten egg to brush around the edge of the disk. Spread the almond filling on to the pastry disk, spreading it out smoothly to within 1⁄2in (1cm) of the edge.

6 Put the other pastry disk on top of the filling and use your fingers or the back of a fork to press down and seal the two disks together.

7 Use a small, sharp knife to score a series of thin slivers in the top of the pastry, in a spiral design, being careful not to allow them to meet in the center or the pastry will pull apart when cooking. If you are feeling very artistic, you could also try cutting the edges of the pastry into a scalloped edge before cooking.

8 Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg and bake in the top of the oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up.

9 Allow the galette to cool for 5 minutes on its baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or cold.

10 STORE The galette will keep in an airtight container for 3 days.

PREPARE AHEAD:
The almond cream can be prepared 3 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

BAKER’S TIP:
In France, this almond cream puff pastry is eaten on January 6, to celebrate Epiphany. However, it is so simple and delicious that it should definitely be eaten more than once a year. It makes a great picnic dish.

Galette des rois Recipe