Serendipitous Cookery

This is a cake made in Europe to celebrate January 6 – the Epiphany of Christ or the day the three kings came to visit the baby Jesus and signifies the end of the holiday season.  Last year I posted a little bit about this cake, after the fact.  But this year, I decided I would try to make it and present an updated post.

This cake is made of puff pastry and an almond filling that bakes up into a light and flaky concoction.  The special part of this recipe is that a prize is usually baked into it, such as a fava or kidney bean or even an almond.  Once the cake is presented and cut, the person who finds the bean in their serving is the King or Queen of the day.  Often, the King or Queen would be given a ‘golden crown’ to wear.

Almond Cream:

• 1/2 c.  Almond Meal
• 
• 3 T.     Butter
• 1 T.     Flour
• 1          Egg
• 1/4 c.  Granulated Sugar
• 1 t.       Vanilla Extract

Beat all of the above ingredients together into a smooth paste.

Base:

• 1 17-oz. pkg  Puff Pastry
• 1 Egg Beaten
• 1 Bean
• Powdered Sugar

Thaw out the puff pastry the day before according to the instructions on the box and unfold it onto parchment paper.  I took a big bowl and put it upside down on the pastry and cut a circle (approximately 9″ in diameter give or take a little).

Spoon the almond cream onto the middle of the pastry and spread to within 1 1/2 inches of the edge.  Lay the bean onto the cream where you want it. Cut out another 9″ pastry round and lay it on top of the cream base.  Seal the edges with a fork all around and cut a design into the top with a sharp knife.  Beat the 2nd egg and brush the mixture onto the top of the cake.

Bake at 425 degrees F until golden brown or about 25 minutes.  My oven runs a little hot, so I baked it at 400 degrees F.   Remove from oven and let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar to decorate.