Bakers Blog

The French bakers, especially in Northern France, end their Christmas celebrations on the weekend of the 12^th Night, the 6th January, celebrating the visit of the three Kings to Christ in Bethlehem, by baking the Galette des Rois, which translates into the King’s griddle cake.

Recipes have changed from baker to baker over the centuries, but the contemporary version is generally a variation on a Pithivier – an almond cream mix sandwiched between golden discs of puff pastry.

To make the occasion special, a crown is supplied with the cake to garnish it.  Secretly hidden inside the cake is a ceramic figurine, or “fève” (literally a bean). The cake is served in wedges amongst family and friends. The person retrieving the figurine earns the right to wear the crown for the day and command the household to do their bidding! Some canny bakers produce the festive treat for all of January and cheekily insist the winner buys the next Galette!

We have made our own version this year. We hope you will try it and enjoy it – please let us know what you think. 

The Galette des Rois is very popular in France – everyone knows about them and what to expect inside. However, we are a little bit more cautious about placing the figurine inside for safety reasons –  we would hate you to crack a tooth unexpectedly or even choke. We have taken the precaution of placing the gift separately and you can decide how to use it – you might allocate a number to each guest and throw a dice to see who will win and become King of the house for the day. Some French families retain a collection of the gifts for years as a souvenir of happy Christmases past – and who was King or Queen of the house for a day of course.

From the whole team at Vienna Bakery, we wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.