{"id":890,"date":"2012-06-13T18:27:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-13T18:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pastrysampler.com\/blog\/galette-des-rois-twelfth-night-pastry-dessert-traditions\/"},"modified":"2018-05-22T15:14:49","modified_gmt":"2018-05-22T15:14:49","slug":"galette-des-rois-twelfth-night-pastry-dessert-traditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pastrysampler.com\/blog\/2012\/06\/galette-des-rois-twelfth-night-pastry-dessert-traditions.html","title":{"rendered":"Galette des Rois – Twelfth Night Pastry Dessert Traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
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Traditional Galette des Rois – photo courtesy Flickr <\/em>
User Gael Chardon through a Creative Commons License.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Twelfth Night is a celebration that marks the coming of Epiphany, and most Christians celebrate it on the 12th day after Christmas. Epiphany celebrates the divination of Christ, and is also known as Three Kings Day from the visit of the three wise men. Twelfth Night officially ends the Christmas Season, and the Twelve Days of Christmas.<\/p>\n

Tradition for this religious holiday celebration includes placing a bean, a miniature figurine of a baby, or other non-edible object inside the pastry as it bakes. When the cake is presented, it is generally cut into portions one for each person plus one. The extra one is to symbolize giving charity to the first poor person who comes by the house. When the cake is served, the lucky one with the object is celebrated such as having good luck all year, being required to host another event at a given time or has set obligations they must do, or as in a King Cake – be the ‘king of the party’.<\/p>\n

There are many different versions of a Twelfth Cake depending on the country. Traditional King Cake<\/em> in New Orleans will include a yeast bread topped with icing decorated in Mardi Gras colors (green, purple, and gold). Roscon de Reyes<\/em> is a yeast bread made in a cylindrical shape, decorated and flavored with candied fruits. Some parts of South America and Italy use a Panettone<\/em>, another yeast bread with a mixture of candied and dried fruits, to celebrate the holiday.<\/p>\n

The French have different versions of the Twelfth Cake: the G\u00e2teau<\/span> des Rois<\/em> and the Galette des Rois<\/em>. The G\u00e2teau<\/span> des Rois <\/em>is a brioche bread with candied fruits (like the New Orleans King Cake without the New Orleans colors). The Galette des Rois<\/em> is a French dessert made of puff pastry and frangipane. If you have tasted or made Pithiviers<\/em>, then you’ve tasted or made a Galette des Rois<\/em>. It is a very simple dessert, and one of my favorites year round to serve. I have to say, just being a mom and knowing children (and from experience), watch to make sure they don’t swallow the baked trinket if they are the lucky ones to receive it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Galette des Rois – courtesy Flickr User elPadawan<\/em>
through a Creative Commons License.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Galette des Rois<\/strong><\/p>\n