Great topical issues of the day - Galette des Rois

General Discussion
1

I was so looking forward to trying a Galette des Rois when I first came to France.Given the fantastic range of breads, patisseries and viennoiseries routinely available at boulangers, surely Galettes des Rois would be really memorable?

I have been terribly disappointed in them. Dry flaky pastry, with a filling so miserly in quantity that a forensic investigator would be hard put to find more than minute traces. I appreciate that criticising Galettes des Rois, apparently greatly appreciated by 95% of the French per a survey, may lead to my carte de séjour being revoked, and my being escorted to the nearby border, prior to deportation.

Is it just that Galette des Rois in this part of Normandy that are so unmemorable, and everywhere else they’re fantastic? Interested to hear from others experiences…

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2

Depends enormously where you buy it from.

We’ve had some from Marie Blachère that tastes, as you’d imagine, very industrial. However, our local boulangerie has one that is delicious. Plus you have to heat it up - 10 minutes at 150° is plenty.

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Certainly around here they are delicious, but they are made by local bakers/artisans who have their reputations to maintain and their loyal clientele to please…
the guillotine would be swiftly employed if the G d Rois did not meet expectations… :rofl:

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I’ve felt the same disappointment as you, @George1 , but I didn’t know that they should be heated. We’ll try that next year.

We got ours from our usual boulanger, the second-best in the town. The rest of his Christmas stuff was excellent.

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5

Industrial ones are sweet cardboard - if no decent local boulangerie maybe make them?

I have a related issue as have a neighbours’ get together on Sunday for (postponed) galettes. We each bring something and I know from previous years that there will be a collection of over sweet and mainly shop bought ones.

I was contemplating a fruit salad to cut through the sugar? But not easy to eat.

Other ideas?

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6

For a single person they are not possible to buy and eat the whole lot. We don’t have an artisan patissier in this little town, just a SU bakery and a Brioche d’Or outlets which are a bit industrial with the quantities they churn out. I did try making one some years ago with ready roll flaky pastry and ground almonds, but it was dry and miserable. Never mind, I prefer a cream cake or nice eclair anyway.

7

It’s very much a “thing” here, as it is in most places. My problem with them is that every group you belong to serves up Galette des Rois (and bubbles) at one of its January meetings and it all gets a bit much. I like them but not in vast quantities!

Certainly here, the local boulangeries do excellent versions with generous fillings and delicious flakey pastry. However, over the last couple of years, our dance group has served ones with an apple filling as well as ones with the usual marzipan as it’s somewhat lighter.

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8

It’s still sweet, but with a pleasant bitterness from the caramelisation: tarte vigneronne is popular round here and we love it. Ther bakers make big ones and individual ones. (I’ve never made it myself.)

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9

The ones we’ve had have been pretty disappointing. Lack of flavour for sure, just a tummy filler.

10

Does the SU bakery not do individual slices?

11

Have enjoyed both frangipani and brioche types from Intermarché and Lidl here in SE 47.

Herself is greatly aggrieved that I always find the little ceramic figurine.

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12

The first time I tried one I didn’t know about the figurine and got a nasty shock. Glad I didn’t swallow it!

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13

Bite in carefully or you’ll be paying for your dentist’s summer holiday.

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14

Me too, I wasn’t expecting that. Maybe the quality is poor because it was originally made for a bloke who was on his way to have his head chopped off. :thinking:

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15

I’m on the mailing list for Nigella Lawson and yesterday she shared a recipe for a Galette des Rois… Maybe one day I’ll give it a try.

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16

OH did just that this year as we’d never bought one before so didn’t know about the little tile. Lucky not to break a tooth :flushed:. Ours was very nice with no marzipan but mixed glace fruit instead.

17

They should put a health warning on every package.

18

sounds interesting with the fruit.
Never had one with marzipan (which I don’t particularly like)
Our local Galettes are made with frangipane which is very different (and delicious)

19

Ah, so your other half was La Reine and got to wear the crown… I hope they at least nominated you as their Roi!

20

I once got two crowns. I did wolf a fair bit, to be honest.