R khooks

Pithivier

No, it’s not supposed to be a giant daisy. It’s a puff pastry pie filled with almond cream.

Also known as ‘Galette des Rois’ or ‘Three Kings cake’. Normally eaten at the beginning of January to celebrate the arrival of the three kings. They are sold with a golden crown and a small figure hidden in the cake. The ‘aim of the game’ is to get the piece of cake with the figure and be crowned king for the day.

Pithiviers500g ready made puff pastry
Little figure

Almond cream
60g butter
60g sugar
1 egg
60 ground almonds
rum optional

Finish
Egg wash
Syrup
50ml water
50g sugar

Bake at 200°c

Almond cream
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together. Then add egg and finally the ground almonds. Add rum if desired. Put into piping bag.

Preheat oven to 200°c.
Roll out half of the pastry into a square about 2-3mm thickness. Sprinkle baking paper on tray with water (this will help stop the puff pastry shrinking in size). Place pastry on tray. Use a large bowl to lightly mark the centre circle. Making sure you still have enough pastry left for a border (about 5cm). Pipe an almond cream snail shape within the circle. Put the little figure in pastry cream. Brush the outside with the egg wash. Roll out the 2nd half of the pastry to the same size. Place over almond cream base. Use the bowl to gently press down/mark the circle. Refridgerate for 5 minutes. Cut petal shape border. Egg wash, making sure you don’t let the eggwash run down the sides. This will hinder the rising of the puff pastry. Refridgerate until eggwash is dry. Eggwash again carefully. Use back of knife to do curved pattern on pastry. Poke a hole in each of the petals and 4 in the top. Bake for 30mins. Brush with syrup when still hot.